From Chris: What I Believe (and Why I Hope America Changes)

I’m an introverted person.

I like keeping to myself, and I’m at my best when I either forget or choose to ignore the fact that most other people in the world have thoughts, opinions, and preferences.

I don’t think it’s an admirable trait. I also don’t think it’s “good.”

But for me, that’s the territory that allows me to relax and breathe more easily.

However, this immediately disappears in the face of politics, especially today where everything is made to be political.

In high school and college, I was vocal about my political opinions because it was my fight against an overwhelmingly-conservative culture when I was growing up. I fought against this culture because it mixed religion and politics, and those who claimed to follow the words of Jesus also wanted us to drop nukes on the Middle East after 9/11.

So I started speaking up and writing about it.

And now, as American life has become surreal in terms of it being indistinguishable from a prolonged and exacerbating nightmare, I’m going to start speaking up and writing about it again.

I don’t like speaking in terms of current political issues, though. Generally, I feel that most issues are over-simplified and get far more airtime than the boring issues that have a bigger impact (like executive orders that give tax cuts for the wealthy).

I’m also not educated or broad enough of mind to know enough about every issue and have a supportable opinion about it.

Instead, I like talking about what I believe.

I think it’s simpler. I think it’s more organic. Most importantly, I know it’s what I believe is right.

So, not that anybody asked, but here’s what I believe as we get closer to Election Day 2020.

(Also, I DO NOT speak for anyone else in this post. This is Chris. Just Chris. Alex and Gentry are different people.)

From Chris: What I Believe

I believe the future is female.

I believe black lives matter.

I believe that people are always more important and more valuable than money, and there is no financial cost great enough to justify the loss of even one human life.

I believe that we, as Americans, collectively have all of the resources that we need to give each other lives of comfort, satisfying work, and growth, and that we only need to allocate it properly to make that happen.

I believe in creating a better future for our children than the present that I’m creating for myself.

I believe in teaching our children that victims are never at fault.

I believe in teaching our sons to be accountable for their actions.

I believe in teaching our daughters to stand up when the status quo tells them to sit down.

I believe our children should never be afraid to go to school.

I believe women have a right to choose what happens to their bodies and that I, as a man, inherently do not have the right to say otherwise since I haven’t (and cannot have) first-hand experience as a woman in today’s world.

I believe politicians are public servants — not leaders — who should be removed from office when they fail to deliver on promises, perform harm on their communities, or allow harm to befall their communities.

I believe in equitable medical availability and treatment for all Americans.

I believe your character is determined by your beliefs and actions — not your job title or salary.

I believe and support black Americans when they tell their stories about institutionalized and systematic racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement.

I believe and support Latino Americans when they tell their stories about institutionalized and systemic racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement.

I believe and support Asian Americans when they tell their stories about institutionalized and systemic racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement.

I believe and support indigenous tribal Americans and those of indigenous descent when they tell their stories about institutionalized and systemic racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement.

I believe and support the testimonies of LGBTQA individuals when they discuss the discrimination that they experience because of the circumstances of their birth.

I believe and support the testimonies of veterans when they discuss their experiences in the military and, more importantly, when they stand up to ask for the Americans they protected to stand with them.

I believe in justice, fair trials, objective juries, and a multi-check judiciary process for anyone accused of a crime so that no innocent person is ever confined to prison.

I believe that our prison system is broken and imprisons children and people of color at a disproportionate rate to keep private prisons profitable.

I trust the expertise of those who have decades of documented experience in their fields, including those in immunology, gynecology, climatology, chemistry, and more.

I believe the wealthy should pay their fair share of taxes.

I believe in police accountability.

I believe no one is above the law.

I believe in slashing the United States defense budget to allow for more spending on education, scientific research, economics, environmental sustainability, and housing.

I believe in breaking up trusts and overlarge corporations to ensure that they never have enough power to exploit the common person and get away with their crimes.

I believe that life is complicated, and for many people, that complication includes an excessive amount of hardship.

I believe people can build incredible futures for themselves when they have the knowledge, resources, and time to do so.

I believe in democracy, when it is exercised as a true democracy by, of, and for the people who own it.

I believe that America is in dire straits, and that this election will determine whether we become a puppet government of a foreign enemy that has exploited, outsmarted, and bribed its way into our lives.

Finally, I believe that you and I can make a difference.

That’s why I’m voting Biden-Harris.