“This is the first presidential election I have ever been interested in,” my husband said to me this morning.
You know what that means, I had to explain the complicated electoral college and popular vote, and all of the details of the voting process to a man who was born and raised in a country, where voting for representation is not a thing.
Let’s just say it was a lot of recalling American government class from high school, and a little googling because let’s face it- it doesn’t always make sense unless you’re a political analyst but even then the jargon doesn’t necessarily cross the language barrier.
One thing I did enjoy about this election season and the civics lesson, was that my husband and I were able to dissect a lot of major issues ranging from Black Lives Matter and social unrest, the economy, the way Covid-19 response differs from US and Canada, and why everyone around the world was looking at this election.
There’s a Latin phrase I love Per Ardua Ad Astra, Through Adversity to the Stars, and I believe it to be true. Resilience is the biggest opportunity we have right now. Through uncertain times, it is sometimes the only thing that can fortify us.
In this moment where we stand at a precipice, where the hope of Kamala Harris’s position made the little girl in me cry and the adult women sob- hard.
As a woman and the mother of a daughter it speaks to something inside of us. As a woman of color, it speaks volumes as to where the country finds itself. In 1964, Dr. MLK gave an acceptance speech for his Nobel Prize that is reminiscent of this moment.
Another indication that progress is being made was found in the recent presidential election in the United States. The American people revealed great maturity by overwhelmingly rejecting a presidential candidate who had become identified with extremism, racism, and retrogression8. The voters of our nation rendered a telling blow to the radical right9. They defeated those elements in our society which seek to pit white against Negro and lead the nation down a dangerous Fascist path.
Let me not leave you with a false impression. The problem is far from solved. We still have a long, long way to go before the dream of freedom is a reality…”
Dr MLK, Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance speech 1964
That was 1964! Maybe we haven’t made that much progress and since Trump lost by a hair in the popular vote- means there’s so much work to do. But there is still hope the work can be done. And that’s what we can’t lose again.
Yours in Kind,
Jessy, mother of a daughter. An immigrant, wife of an immigrant. Current Rogue Mom, futurepreneur
Opposite But The Same 