Here’s the thing: voting in the presidential election is incredibly important. It’s a way to express your opinion and values for one of the most important and prominent political competitions in our nation. Yet, this is not the only thing we must do, in terms of political activism.
Because of the way the media focuses so intently on the presidential election and fails to place that same importance on local elections, it’s easy to get into the mindset that it’s the only election that matters. But that is not the case. The presidential election is just one of many people we have the opportunity to elect; if we don’t place the same premium on voting in our local and state elections, then we aren’t really using our voices to the best of our ability. Big change starts small and local, and works its way up, so we must make sure we elect and vote for people who represent our values at every level.
Voting isn’t the only way we can partake in political activism. Protesting is another prominent and valuable way in which people can have their voices heard in the face of injustice. We’ve seen over the summer how prominent the Black Lives Matter protests were, and how the people who participated in them were powerful in the face of people who were against them. This shows these things can be effective, that they can spark change and a movement, due to the mass support they can garner.
We can also use the powerful tool of social media to express our political voices, as they are a great way to express opinions on issues in real time. With social media, we can keep up to date with the latest news and events happening in our country, allowing us to form opinions and gain information almost immediately after something happens.
All in all, it’s incredibly important to make sure we stay political and active not only during a presidential election but after. If we don’t, then the change we were promised during an election will not happen. We must keep elected officials accountable after they are elected, by using our voice.
