I Voted… Now What? (1)

I work hard to avoid hyperbole. I despise sensationalist headlines that hide the lack of genuine content in a news piece. So, I don’t say this lightly.

This is the most consequential election I have ever participated in.

In 2016, we knew of Donald Trump. He was a “media figure” whom it was difficult to take seriously. And whatever I felt about Hillary Clinton, I never really thought she would lose.

Until she did.

And then Trump’s presidency was a disaster. I say that as a public health practitioner who helped lead the response to COVID-19 in my local community.

It’s not simply that the president mismanaged the whole affair. At turns he minimized it or mobilized it to achieve his personal ends. Over time, he ended up leading an attack on public health institutions and leaders that risks our health every day, and leaves us nearly unprepared to face the next pandemic.

It was a disaster because so many died unnecessarily.

It was a disaster because it destroyed trust in public health structures, policies, and programs that, unfortunately, too many took and still take for granted. We are and will be sicker for it.

I am speaking about Donald Trump’s harmful impact on a single domain I know something about. He repeated that harm repeatedly, touching many institutions and people who work to make our communities nice places to live (see this for an example of what I mean).

Despite this, he might win again.

And I don’t know what I will do if he does. I am angry, sad, and confused—confused mostly, I guess. Confused that so many citizens of this nation seem to accept this man as a leader worthy of their respect.

But before I even start thinking about what will happen after November 5, 2024, if he wins, I need to figure out how to get through the days until that date.

So, I have decided to put away the news, the blogs, the social media feeds—all of it—and write instead.

But write about what?

When Mr. Trump won the first time, I was mayor of Davis, CA. In the days after his election, already knowing that his tenure would mean harms for many we loved, the people of Davis came together to prepare ourselves for this new world.

As mayor, I was asked to speak.

At the event, I tried to remind everyone who we are, what we value, and, most importantly, what our vision for our community is. It was a small speech—perhaps an inconsequential speech—but it helped me remember that without a vision, people wander. Without vision, we react. Without vision, we have no path forward.

But by articulating a vision, we can, in small and sometimes big ways, begin to move towards a future we value.

So in these days leading to November 5, 2024, I will lay out my vision for my community and my nation.

This might seem like hubris. After all, what gives me the right to lay out a vision? What does it even mean?

My response is that I do not expect my vision to prevail. But if I am to continue to contribute to a place I love. If I am to stand against the evils being let loose in our nation and world by people who care only for themselves, I must have something to offer in contrast to what I condemn: if not a plan, then at least a direction.

And I guess I would invite you to do the same.

What do you want for your community and nation? What ends do you want to pursue? What will drive you in a positive way in the days after November 5, 2024?

For, indeed, no matter who wins, it is incumbent upon all of us to know what we value and where we want to go to achieve the ends we desire for our community: to bring healing to the social, cultural, and physical world we inhabit.

See you tomorrow…

Installment 2