By Joanie Juster–
As we race headlong toward what is generally considered to be the most consequential election of our lifetime, it is clear that voter turnout is going to be the key to success. We cannot afford to leave any voters on the sidelines, whether from lack of access to a polling place, confusion about their registration, apathy, or indecision. Our job: get out the vote.
The one piece of advice you’ll hear over and over again is that the very best way to get people to the polls is to have a conversation with them. Many of us are a bit shy about phone banking or door knocking, but there are other ways to engage potential voters. I once accidentally started a group conversation on the 22 Fillmore bus, simply by wearing a button for a local candidate. Someone asked about the candidate, and why they had earned my vote. As I talked to this person, others on the bus started listening, and asking more questions. By the end of the ride, I believe I had convinced at least 8 voters to vote for my chosen candidate. Wear the button, wear the t-shirt, talk about your values; you can be a walking reminder to vote, and to care.
Spread the Word, but the Right Word
Among the many troubling aspects of this current political climate is the all-out war on truth being waged by those who are hell-bent on sowing chaos among the American people. How do they do this? By drowning us in a tsunami of disinformation—and repeating the lies over and over until we doubt everything we thought we knew.
This isn’t just a prank: this is a well-funded, coordinated effort to destabilize our democracy by creating confusion and doubt among the American people. Candidates and elected officials are proudly spreading blatant lies about immigrants eating pets, or what the federal government is doing to provide relief in disaster-stricken areas, or even proclaiming, “They control the weather!” And, sadly, many Americans are believing them. So, when these same candidates and elected officials staunchly assert that election systems cannot be trusted, they cast doubt upon the integrity of the very election system upon which our country depends. The result? Election workers across the country are being targeted with death threats. Many are quitting the field out of fear for their safety. And that makes it harder to run accurate, fair elections.
These lies have very human consequences. Haitian immigrants in Ohio found themselves targeted after Donald Trump and J.D. Vance repeatedly and falsely accused them of eating pet cats and dogs. Disinformation being spread about FEMA relief efforts in areas severely impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton is making the already-challenging relief efforts even harder, putting lives and property at risk.
What can you and I do in the face of all these lies? To quote historian Heather Cox Richardson, “We need to blanket the country with good information.” I Googled “how to counter disinformation,” and found many great articles from government agencies, thinktanks, nonprofits, universities, and professional organizations. It is worth reading several of them, but I can boil down some of their advice for you.
While we can’t all be professional fact-checkers, we can do our level best to verify information before we share it. Make sure that when you talk about issues, you get your facts and figures right. “I saw something on Facebook … ” is a dangerous path to go down; that’s how the lies about Springfield got started. Seek out trusted sources of information, and spread information you know to be true. Report false information you find on social media. And, most of all, be intentional and thoughtful about what you share on social media. Don’t amplify the bad actors; be the voice that others look to for truth and stability.
Not all wars are fought with guns. We can all help fight against disinformation campaigns. It is our right, and our responsibility.
Hope in Unexpected Places
My day job includes tabling at community events and health fairs around the Bay Area. One of the benefits is that I get to meet wonderful people from other nonprofits, schools, and organizations who are doing good work to help make the world a better place for all of us.
Recently I was at a health fair at Gavilan College in Gilroy, in the southernmost part of Santa Clara County. My image of Gilroy had been shaped by growing up in Santa Clara so many years ago, pre-Silicon Valley, when Gilroy was a conservative little community known for raising cows and garlic.
Imagine my surprise to see that this health fair, far from urban centers, featured, not one, not two, not three, but four tables featuring information and support for the LGBTQ+ community. While other parts of the country are vehemently trying to ban drag, ban queer books, and ban any way of supporting and nurturing transgender and gender expansive people, here was a college, and a community, actively welcoming and supporting them. The services—some from nonprofits, others from Santa Clara County itself—were wide-ranging, thoughtful, helpful, and affirming. They covered a broad range of types of support including healthcare, mental health, and even trainings for other organizations on how to provide culturally competent support for a community that is very much in need of it.
I was surprised, impressed, and moved. And finding so much support in an unexpected place gave me hope. Just a couple of days prior, I had read that The Trevor Project had published a study on the profound negative effects of anti-transgender legislation. According to their study, suicide attempts among some young people increased by as much as 72% in the years after anti-transgender legislation was enacted.
Hatred and bigotry can cause real harm to real human beings. Seeing those four welcoming tables at a health fair at a small college in a quiet semi-rural area gave me great hope. The power of love, of offering a welcoming and understanding place, can create hope, and change lives. Well done, Gilroy.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so this is your gentle reminder that early detection saves lives. Anyone with breast tissue can get breast cancer—women and men, cisgender and trans. Please learn how to check yourself, learn what is normal for your body, and talk to your doctor about what screenings are appropriate for you. It can save your life.
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on October 17, 2024
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