Between the horrific events in the Middle East to the dysfunction in the House of Representatives, it has been an extremely disconcerting month. A month that caused me to reflect and question my commitment to this work.
On balance, history as recent as World War II demonstrates that apathy and appeasement are the greatest enemies of freedom and democracy.
There are powerful forces and powerful people that are destabilizing the world and this country. Despite these forces, "we the people," by educating ourselves on candidates and issues, by speaking up, and by exercising our right to vote, have the power to protect our democracy and make our country and world a better place.
None of this is easy, or even guaranteed. Wading through misinformation and constructively engaging with people in debate is increasingly difficult. To make matters worse, elections and election workers are increasingly under attack.
My social media posts this month provided perspective on the state of our democracy, tools to combat misinformation and media bias, resources on elections and election officials, and reinforced how a strong partnership between our elected officials and their constituents can help promote and strengthen our democracy. If you haven't yet had a chance to review these posts, I encourage you to do so!
Historian Heather Cox Richardson's NPR interview provides great perspective on the ouster of Kevin McCarthy and state of our democracy
All-Sides' updated media bias chart is a great guide on the reporting lens of prominent media organizations (take, for example, three side-by-side reports on the history of the Israeli-Hamas conflict)
AARP's October 25 media literacy class had some tips for being news savvy online
PBS screened No Time to Fail, a moving account of the heroic work of Rhode Island's election administrators' work in the midst of the COVID pandemic. If you missed it, the film is available to stream through the World Channel and on-demand via all station-branded PBS platforms, including the PBS App.
Issue One's report on high turnover of election officials highlighted a major barrier to running elections at the local level
Fortune commentary on the role of business in supporting our democracy urged leaders to commit to their role in safeguarding elections ahead of the 2024 cycle
Voice of the People's October newsletter highlighted bipartisan agreement on a number of major proposals on immigration. I encourage you to try their policymaking simulation on immigration. It only takes a few minutes, it's very enlightening, and you can share your findings with your congressional representatives.
Here's hoping we have a much better month than the last one. Have a happy Halloween and a great Thanksgiving.
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