Not long ago, Bernie Sanders sent an email that caught my attention.
He said, “I am writing to ask you to run for office.”
I can’t remember another politician sending me a similar message. How to respond? I want to contribute. I really do. I’m not happy with Trump being in power. And yet…
We often don’t know how to respond to current events. Sometimes, I like to imagine myself living in a vacuum, doing my own thing, totally independent from the “Winds of Change”.
One of my favorite books is Lost Horizon, by James Hilton. In Shangri-La, the monks don’t respond to news of the outside world daily. Instead, they only consider current events potentially relevant after a decade or so.
Scientific progress happens all the time. Societal progress takes a more circuitous route. I agree with Martin Luther King when he says, “The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it Bends Toward Justice.”
And yet, justice is not guaranteed. Justice depends on the individuals who fight for justice. I want to move the needle! I want to make a difference. The question for each of us is the following. How do we meaningfully respond to the events of these times?
We must look to our individual talents. We must look to our specific responsibilities. In 1984, Winston believes that the Proles can change the world. There is power in solidarity.
While running for office may not be my jam, I can make other contributions.
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