With rising political tensions and an upcoming election, 2024 has already been a
time of worry, frustration, and fear for many. Regardless of a person’s political beliefs,
there is no doubt that key legislation over a variety of issues is at stake. It can feel
confusing and overwhelming to keep up with all these rapid changes while trying to
maintain some sense of routine and normalcy. Although our current situation is far from
ideal for many, including myself, it is important that we take note of what we can do to
bring about the change we’d like to see. In this post, I’d like to touch on voting and
specifically what it means to vote.
Access to voting has always been widely contested. Despite activists’ best efforts
throughout history to ensure the right to vote for all American citizens, there are some in power who seek to undermine our ability to exercise this important right. Over the past few years, certain states have enacted restrictions on voting such as imposing
restrictions on what qualifies as valid ID, making registration more difficult, and other
means of decreasing access to voting. These restrictions, along with rising political
tensions, have led many to question the merits of voting and to cast doubt on both its
legitimacy and efficacy. It can feel daunting to attempt to challenge broad problems
such as “the system” or “oppression,” and it can especially feel meaningless when you
consider yourself as only one person. But voting is exactly for those who are dissatisfied
with how the system currently operates and wants to contribute to positive change; it is
the utilization of your voice to identify which policies embody your values most
completely. The abundance of voting restrictions that have been imposed over the last
few years can actually be taken as evidence of how powerful a vote can be.
Voting is a small part of an incredibly important process. It’s crucial not to let
anyone attempt to diminish your voice or your ability to use it. As we’ve seen from the
results of the past few elections, the legislation and the people that we collectively vote
for can have lasting impacts on our country for years or even decades to come. In
current times, it can often feel that our voices don’t really matter that much, especially
for marginalized groups like people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and
disabled folks. Voting is one of the ways in which our voices do matter. Although the
changes that we want to see as a result of voting may not happen overnight, we can be
confident in our ability to make an important difference, no matter how small it may
initially seem.
Over the course of the next few months, Bodhi will be making posts regarding
voting information, navigating the voting process, and other election-related content.
Feel free to follow our page on Facebook to stay updated on those posts, and reach out
to us on our website for a free consultation if you’re interested in starting therapy.