Voting Isn’t Marriage

By Etienne Lafayette Rimmele / Winter 2021

Dear Etienne,

Usually, we write these letters the other way around, or at least you will, but to be blunt, I’m here to amend some of your beliefs about voting. It should be around 2016 when we receive this, give or take a few months since my time travel isn’t great, but that’s about the political climate you should be in right now. Now don’t get me wrong, of all people, I completely understand why you think voting doesn’t matter. We live in California — the leader of blue states and liberal thinking — and it doesn’t even feel like your vote matters when the state’s vote seems to have been decided regardless of your opinion. We don’t even feel tied to the Democratic Party, much less the candidates they put up like Hillary Clinton, so why should we vote if it won’t count and it’s for someone you don’t believe in. Obviously, a female president would be fantastic, but maybe not Hillary… She gets under our skin a little bit with her persona and policies, but not nearly as much as Trump does. I also know you don’t realize how many people agree with the ideals of Trump. Not in a “staying with the Republican Party” or a “placing America first” type of way, but in a racist, bigoted type of way that other politicians haven’t promoted in as long as we’ve been alive. Given our skin color and growing up in a very Mexican community we haven’t faced racism like that, but let me assure you that outside of the liberal bubble we grew up in, there is a lot of hate out in the world. Those same people have no problem voting in a representative democracy that doesn’t represent its people.

Don’t get so lost in picking apart the presidential candidates when it comes to voting because no one’s ever gonna come along advocating exactly what we think in exactly the way that we want unless we foolishly decide to run for president, but that’s okay. Here’s a great quote/analogy I heard the other day: “Voting isn’t marriage, it’s public transportation. You’re not waiting for ‘the one’ who’s absolutely perfect. You’re getting the bus, and if there isn’t one to your destination you don’t not travel. You take the one going closest.” Sure, Clinton isn’t the best choice, and I’ll tell you that the next time you vote for the leading Democratic candidate won’t be our first choice either, but they’re still going to be more progressive than their opponents. Also, don’t get so caught up in the primary elections when so much important stuff happens at the local level. There are plenty of propositions, congresspeople, and council members that deserve as much attention as the president when it comes to their impact on our lives. These are also the systems that we can tangibly affect by giving them our time, either with labor and help or with research and education on who they are and what they’re trying to accomplish. Our dad even knew the mayor of Chula Vista back in the day, so we know that these people are in our community and can hear our thoughts and opinions. Politicians who actively respond to the demands of their constituents are what we need, and oftentimes they're not going to be at the center of the media's attention.

As I mentioned earlier, I know that you’re facing a new political climate for the first time: the climate of hate. I can’t say that I’m faring much better in that regard (no spoilers), but I can provide some solace by helping you understand that there are patterns at play here. See, the politics of any given moment seem to act as a pendulum, constantly swinging back and forth from conservative to progressive ideals as a reaction to one another. As an economic example, the laissez-faire attitude of the early 20th century gave way to government intervention and social programs with the New Deal. And if you look at the New Deal as conservative with its lack of support for people of color, then the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s would be the progressive reaction to that. You’re living in the conservative reaction to the Obama administration which promoted progressive policies like the Affordable Care Act and legalizing gay marriage, and right now when I’m living that seems to be coming to a head. When things seem bad understand that they will get better, and when they’re good cherish those moments and live in that present. We just have to be content knowing that the ideas and policies of the country are going to ebb and flow with time, constantly changing while we’re left to hold onto whatever we believe in.

I guess that’s my last little lesson going forwards: just stick by your beliefs. We are going to learn a lot about a lot, but I think it’s really important that we center everything around supporting and caring for people. The economy can go through its ups and downs and the government will swing back and forth, but make sure that you’re putting people, their health, and their happiness first. Thinking with kindness will help guide you, as long as you remember to be kind to yourself too.

See you in the mirror. Love you and good luck!

Etienne