Recently I walked a young dog from the shelter on a local trail so that he could get exposure to new people, so that he could get exposure to new smells, new places. He wore a yellow vest that said “Adopt Me” on it, and was such a good boy, though the car ride made him anxious on the way there, and made him cuddly afterwards. He did not want to ride in the back so he rode shotgun, leaning over to rest his head on me as I drove. What a sweetheart.
The people who work at the shelter are amazing. I love volunteering there, doing my little dog-visits, putting on the animals’ collars and vests and handing out treats and scratching and walking. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to volunteer in an animal shelter; I thought it would break my heart. It has not, and yet it does: I want to bring all of them home. But I see how well the animals are cared for there, and while it is not their home, while it can be loud and stressful even for the long-term residents, I am so grateful we have that in our community.
Volunteering there is something I had to push myself to do; I didn’t know what it would be like. Yet I try to live in a way that means I walk gently on this earth, and that I improve things when I can. I am in a profession that is solely designed to help people. I volunteer regularly at the animal shelter and I am a member of a working Board of Directors for a local non-profit. I raise money for organizations and celebrate their successes. I try to fuel connection through my writing, and when I see opportunities to do so in other areas.
My values are considered liberal. I am a lifelong feminist because I believe in equal rights for all people. I believe that people should be allowed to be who they are, love who they love. I believe we are all better off when we are authentic to ourselves, and of course – just in case anyone comes at me because of this invisible blog in a random corner of the internet – I don’t think anyone should hurt anyone else. I truly believe diversity is a strength. I don’t think life is meant to be prescriptive. I think we are much more alike than we are different.
We live in a time where my values are considered, by some, to be a threat. We have a man running for president who wants to convince people that I am an enemy – that because I support others’ rights to fully live their one wild and precious life (to borrow a phrase), I am undermining democracy. I believe that the opposite is true, but it is scary to think about this person being president and being focused on coming after people like me. Coming after anyone who voices an opinion or joins a protest. Who – literally – praises Adolf Hitler, who I thought we had all agreed long ago was someone who never, ever, ever should be praised.
Yet: I have people in my family who will vote for that man. I have people close to me who will say, oh they are both unqualified and so I’m taking a pass. I don’t understand that, and yet I’m nervous to talk to those people; I sense that I’ve already been written off as the wackadoodle Californian, though originally I am from Texas, though I am rooted in three very different states. Though I have a degree in Political Science, though I have driven across this country many times and have found deep beauty in the people and places throughout.
You may disagree with Kamala Harris’s politics but she is not an actual threat to our country. She does not want to be a dictator; she does not praise leaders of Russia and North Korea, who have no business cozying up to the United States. If you don’t agree with her politics, then her presidency would mean that not everything was the way you wanted it, and that you could continue to work for the causes you believe in; you could continue to try and work within the structure of this country to change it.
But with her opponent as president – who is being advised to circumvent normal vetting procedures for his appointees; who is talking openly and repeatedly about going after his enemies (just to be clear: by his definition, that’s me, y’all); who has been very transparent about his desire to use the military against American citizens – you will risk your life every time you do anything other than fall in line.
This is not the time to take a pass.
At the local shelter, there are dogs available for just about anyone who loves them: purebred dogs and mixes that are impossible to tease out; tiny baby puppies and wizened, slow-moving seniors; small dogs and giant dogs; dogs that bark and dogs that simply watch you with soulful eyes. I don’t know the politics of the people who work there, or the people who volunteer alongside me. But when I take those dogs for walks on trails where they can meet people they wouldn’t normally meet, I get a lot of smiles. Someone told me the other day that I’m a good person. People stop to pet, stop to say hi. Make eye contact when maybe normally they wouldn’t take that risk.
Regardless of politics, I know a lot of animal lovers who would absolutely walk by my side with any dog who needed a home. And I continue to believe that at the end of the day, that vision of this country is worth fighting for.
This Tuesday, I will be proudly casting my ballot for Kamala Harris, and I hope, I hope, hope that you will be, too.
