But you know this

The U.S. government does not belong to its Senators and Representatives or to pollsters, talking heads, political operatives, or “opinionaters” of any stripe, except in the circumstance of their individual citizenship, as it does to us all.

Proud boys. Veterans. Organized labor. Boomers, millennials, GenZ, etc. All of us.

It also does not belong to the land. Geography doesn’t vote. There are no “red” or “blue” states or cities or precincts or voting blocs defined by convenient demographics.

The foundational principles apply. One citizen: one vote. And while that has not always been the case, we can take some satisfaction in the fact that we have overcome the failure and that it has become so now.

If we were to succumb to the not-so-subtle notion that government is merely a competition to determine which team has the most voters, and therefore the right to make all the rules, we could easily settle for simply counting voter registrations and dispense with the election process altogether.

But we must not.

America’s free and fair elections are the gold standard of democracy and must be polished and protected and kept in constant use so as to not be allowed to wither and die.

Vote like your life depended on it, because it does.

And do not strain to choose the “lesser of two evils”. Vote against both of them. Vote for yourself. Write in your own name. Announce your intention to participate in our government, because it is our government. Not theirs.

If you are now discontented, shake it off, get off your duff, and get involved.

If you remain disengaged you will remain dismissed, disrespected, and discounted.

The voices that declare they want to “take back” the congress, should belong to us: We, the people. Voting can make it so.

For more discouraging encouragement, click HERE

And then, vote damnit!