Never Too Early by Dr. E. Faye Williams

August 23, 2015

Never Too Early
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. 

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(TriceEdneyWire.com) – At some point in my past, I adopted the saying that, "It is never too early to begin thinking about or planning your future”.  As the political clock ticks closer to pivotal local and national elections, I'm listening for voices from my community expressing understanding, disappointment and/or outrage with the status quo.  The activist few will always articulate their passion; but, considering the seriousness of our situation, too many of us fail to demonstrate any passion at all.  Passion will usually determine involvement and action.

I always observed political passion that was stimulated by the greatest concern of all -- personal well-being and the well-being of one's children and family.  That was the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement and is the basis for every subsequent progressive movement thereafter.

I am puzzled by the current lack of political passion of so many.  From birth to death, we’re impacted in some way by a political/governmental entity.  Issuance of our birth and death certificates, issuance of personal and business licenses, public schooling, zoning, taxes and other elements of public life are managed or determined by some political/electoral process.  Too many either forget, ignore or assume they’re not impacted--but they’re wrong!

In Virginia, and in other regions of the nation, varying off-year elections will be taking place soon.  In 2016, we’ll have a Federal and local election cycle.  The outcomes of these elections will have a major impact on how we live a good portion of the remainder of our lives and on the lives of our children.

Our Congress is currently comprised of a legislative majority which has not hesitated to articulate policy positions or enact laws that redistribute income from the poor to the wealthy.  Without so much as a plan or proposal to modify the Affordable Care Act, they have voted over 50 times to repeal that law and throw nearly 16 million Americans back into the ranks of the medically uninsured.  While protesting to the contrary, they have initiated a "War against Women" that strips the fundamental determination of health management from patient and doctor and places it under the control of legislation that is based on arbitrary theological concepts.  While they protest providing public assistance, they use every tactic to prevent an increase in the Federal minimum wage law.  They take every opportunity to restrict voting, thus silencing the will of those in opposition to theirs.  The list of their contradictory principles seems endless, but their impact is devastating.

Shortly after the 1976 election, I can remember visiting one of my particularly spiritual friends and, with her, viewing the 700 Club on television.  Religious conservative and host, Pat Robertson, was admonishing his audience to vote in any and every election possible.  He explained that their national influence, majority and control would only occur with a foundation of local political control.  I don't know if he can be credited with authoring the strategy of the current Conservative Republican takeover, but they have followed his 'playbook' to the letter and, in that nearly 40 years, they’ve positioned politicians whose policies will threaten the social structure of our nation for years.

We must replicate that pattern of political involvement advocated by Robertson.  We must promote our interests in our communities through our participation in those processes that will impact us.  Only through our participation can we stand and demand the full-measure of our citizenship.

I’ve long heard the saying that our children (and their character) are messages we send to the future.  Our actions and their consequences are also messages we send to the future.  For the sake of our children, we must embrace the idea that it's never too early to think about our future! Voting is all about our future.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women.  www.nationalcongressbw.org.  202/678-6788)