Welcome Neighbor
Welcome Neighbor
Good morning neighbors, welcome to Down the Middle. As I sit here on Father’s Day, June 16, 2024, I am aware of a changing world that my children and their children will have to walk in, and frankly I am concerned. I could use the term “scared” but I am simply not one to scare easily. However, I will admit that simply finally putting pen to paper after spending years mulling this over, might be the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done (after being responsible for another human soul as a Father).
Before 2020 interrupted our world, I had spent several years noticing that in our country that concerned me. I’ve seen the fringes of society gain greater control over simple aspects of everyday life and I kept waiting for the person that represented me to say something. What was I looking for? Could I verbalize even to myself who or what that person was and what I was waiting to hear. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. But that one person never seemed to rise. I read lots of articles, essays and blogs from people that sounded like me but who were they? Then in March 2020 the world simply changed.
Sure, this was a worldwide epidemic but that’s not what concerned me. What concerned me the most was the simple tossing away of beliefs and traditions that I felt embodied American life, Liberty and Freedom. It amazed me how we so easily allowed our government to subvert and toss aside some of our most cherished virtues. Now I understand that not all people groups have enjoyed every one of these virtues of America. We have fallen short but that’s a discussion for another day.
I heard lots of voices from the Left or Right telling me “they” got it all wrong. “they” being “them” or more simply the other side. What I didn’t hear was a voice that sounded like “my” voice. I felt like my voice sounded a little like both sides if they actually talked to, instead of, at each other. They didn’t sound like me, think like me, act like me, or believe like me, but they kept saying they were just like me or they represented me. So, I spent the next few years thinking about what “my guy” looks like. Who is he or she? What do they cherish? What are their incontrovertible beliefs. Am I alone? Then I realized I am NOT alone, WE are not alone. The voice I didn’t hear was my neighbor. It was your voice I didn’t hear.
So I looked around at who was “speaking” for me. I looked at who was “representing” me. I didn’t find you, my neighbor. What I found a vast majority of the time were members of our government that didn’t represent me very well at all. They represented the extremes of the Left or Right. They were beholden to the money that got them elected. Who represented me? I looked around and I found I was surrounded by them. They were my neighbors and they were every bit as concerned about the future they were leaving to their children and grandchildren as I.
They struggle every day to do the ”right thing”, while their elected officials do the easy thing. And then I got scared, (now remember that I don’t scare easily}. Not because of my neighbor or even the elected officials that are “representing” me. I got scared because of what speaking out meant. Speaking out means we are putting it all on the line against individuals, organizations, corporations, and movements that vastly out resource even the imaginable. I felt surrounded by that power but then I stopped and looked around. Standing right next to me was You, my neighbor.
So why don’t we as neighbors vote for the person that “represents” us more completely. Listen, we are at least 60% of this country. In a democracy where so many elections are decided by a small percentage of voters, why isn’t “our” guy representing us. The numbers are on OUR side. Here are the facts.
In 2024, 244 million Americans are eligible to vote but only 210 are registered to vote, and of that number only roughly 60% actually cast a vote in presidential elections. That number falls even further for congressional elections in the off years. That means that in 2020 roughly less than 44% of Americans eligible to vote voted for Joe Biden, and 2020 had the highest voter turnout since 1908. Here is where our power lies.
If these numbers stay roughly the same in 2024, fewer than 126 million Americans will cast a vote for the president of the United States. That means 118 million eligible voters, 84 million of them registered, will not cast a vote. So 4 out of 10 of your neighbors wont vote. But who makes up that voting 60%.
Well here comes the big finish for today. Friends and neighbors WE hold the power not “them or they”. The extremes on both the left and right have a “base” they speak to and write laws and policies to and for all the time. That’s why only a few “battleground” states determine our presidential elections. Simply put those states have a higher percentage of non base voters. They have more of the Middle. Politicians “shore” up their base and spend enormous sums of money to convince a small percentage of Americans that they represent them. They hope to say enough of the right things to convince enough Middle voters that they are the “right” choice or the other guy is simply the “wrong” one. But what if they are wrong?
Here is why you and I should be excited about our opportunities. The bases of the two parties only represent 40% of voters. Those voters always vote with their party. Among them are our extremely wealthy and well-connected neighbors. Who’s not in that base? You and I. We represent 60% of the voters, and probably a much larger majority of non-voters. In a democracy that number wins all the time, period, end of story. But our wealthy and or well-connected neighbors use those assets to convince us to vote with them.
Quite frankly our power as neighbors scares them to death. They do everything they can to keep us divided. Our government doesn’t govern by check book or influence (at least it shouldn’t), it governs by consent and our consent is what scares them. They are scared of 126 million voters that aren’t their base. Quite frankly they are scared of me, you, us. They are scared that you and your neighbors will rediscover the power we’ve had all along.
Coming in the next few letters will be an introduction to what we can do together as neighbors. As we begin this journey, I am both scared and excited. I need my neighbors. I am you, and you are not alone
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