To The 100 Million Americans Who Didnt Vote

https://johnpavlovitz.com/2017/12/08/100-million-americans-didnt-vote/

To The 100 Million Americans Who Didn’t Vote
December 8, 2017
December 10, 2017 / John Pavlovitz

snip//

That number still staggers me when I really think about it.
100 million people.
100 million people thought so little of the freedoms Americans who came before them protested and were jailed for, were beaten and imprisoned for, fought and died for—that they would simply abstain.
100 million people didn’t find a compelling enough reason to leave the house and allot a couple of hours to speak into the future of their children, of their country, of the planet.
100 million people just opted out of one of the most critical responsibilities we have as citizens of this country.
And for whatever reason, you were among this multitude.

I’ve heard every reason and excuse, every justification and motivation and I honestly don’t disregard them—it’s just that none of them seem to be worth this unequivocal mess we currently find ourselves stuck in.

If you are one of those 100 million people who stayed home last November when you were eligible to vote, I hope your abstaining was a momentary lapse; some perfect storm of anger and exhaustion and frustration.
I hope you’ve engaged or re-engaged the political process now, that you’ve found your personal activism, that you are intentionally leveraging your influence again.
I hope you’re working hard for equality and justice and diversity, that you’re openly opposing hatred.
I hope you are using your voice in more ways than by not using it.

I don’t know why you were silent a year ago, but I want you to know that your silence was costly regardless. Your abstinence was loud, and so your presence now needs to be even louder in making it right.

Today tens of millions of us will continue to be the kind of people the world needs, we will keep pushing back against so much that seems so very wrong since November 2016, and I really hope to see you alongside us—even if we never meet or have a conversation about the election.

No matter why you stayed home then, I truly hope you’re with us now.

I hope you’ve joined us in the fight against the hateful people in power because we need you.

I hope you’ll raise your voice in these days, because the world needs to hear you.

Please speak.