Stay Woke

According to Dictionary.com, "woke" is the past tense of "wake" — as in, someone who is past the process of waking up. The Urban Dictionary defines "woke" as being aware, and "knowing what's going on in the community." Merriam Webster defined Woke as: “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”  We all want the world to be safe and fair for all and some of us feel that our differences should be celebrated, not feared.  To be woke, stay woke, live woke. . what's it all about?  We believe humans owe one another respect, access, and a chance to live a good life. We challenge ourselves to not look the other way when we see our neighbors getting trampled on, beaten to the ground or lose their assets thru no fault of their own. It's true, there are more of us who support equity and justice than who oppose it.

Now that we are coming up on Election 2020, we have to Stay Woke and keep our eyes & ears wide open. This November 3rd election is more important than ever.  In a campaign year marked by a global pandemic, a recession and a national wave of protests, it’s easy to forget that this election season began, with an absolute debacle when it came to the simple act of voting. Americans have never voted at a moment when it felt so unsafe just to stand in a group. No vaccine for the coronavirus will be widely available by November, and the health environment could be riskier than it is now, as the spread of Covid-19 widens. But, we must Vote!  (It takes two minutes to register online, and you can do so right here.)  Everyday some politicians are making strides with all sorts of voter suppression tactics, and if we are not careful we could be shut-out or lose our voting rights. The forefathers fought fiercely for our Voting Rights and we should not; and I will not give up my right to vote.

To make every vote count, we need a system that is free and fair to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, including those who have served their time and paid their debt to society.  Voters should not have to choose between public health and participating in democracy. If you are worried about the pandemic, order a mail-in ballot and mail it in early. States are supposed to make it easier for citizens to vote absentee by mail this year due to the coronavirus, but every state’s election rules are different and you should double check your State's website. You have the right to vote. If anyone tries to stop you, call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-687-8683.

Voting should be accessible for all citizens, no matter where they live. 

The color of their skin or how much money they make!

Then, check Vote.org, where you can Check your voter's registration, find polling place locations and much more. There is also voter's info at USAGov. Sometimes circumstances make it hard or impossible for you to vote on Election Day.  So it is to your best interest to Vote Early and many states will let you vote during a designated early voting period. But, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, do not offer Early Voting/pre-Election Day in-person voting options. Due to the politics of the current resident of the white house, it would appear that Early Voting is the best way to make sure your vote count on November 3rd.

Of the states that allow early in-person voting, 24 and the District of Columbia allow some weekend early voting.

• Saturday: 20 states, plus the District of Columbia provide for voting on Saturday. Four additional states (California, Kansas, Vermont and Massachusetts) leave it up to county clerks who may choose to allow Saturday voting. Delaware and Virginia will also include Saturday voting when the laws go into effect.
• Sunday: Five states (Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Ohio) allow for Sunday voting. Five states (California, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Massachusetts) leave it up to county clerks who may choose to be open on Sundays. Florida mandates early voting must begin, including Sunday, the 10th day and end the third day prior to the election for state and federal elections. Local election officials also have the discretion to allow early voting the Sunday prior to the election.

The stormy once-in-a-lifetime Florida recount battle that polarized the nation in 2000 and left the Supreme Court to decide the presidency, may soon look like a high school student council election, compared with what to come this November. Imagine not just another Florida, but a dozen Floridas.  As stated in the NY Times. . . . . "Not just one set of lawsuits but a vast array of them. And instead of two restrained candidates staying out of sight and leaving the fight to surrogates, a sitting president of the United States unleashing ALL CAPS Twitter blasts from the Oval Office while seeking ways to use the power of his office to intervene". It is true that the 2020 election could get real ugly, and instead of wrapping christmas gifts in December, we could be wrapping ourselves in cozy blankets to keep out the noise.

The out-come of this election is not going to be a smooth operation and some people have already stated, that they will not accept the final ballot count. To date, many States are still in the process of deciding how they will handle voting during the pandemic, and these untimely decisions could cast doubt on the process. What are your thoughts?

            "To be Woke is to See & Say what has gone Unseen & Unspoken".