The Trump Card

I’ve never been a “political” person and I don’t know that I’ll ever really be one. I registered to vote after I turned 18, but I haven’t voted in any election yet, partially because I live in South Carolina which is Republican state. Honestly I took this election and Trump being a candidate as a joke - until he won. After seeing him be inaugurated and some of the things he’s already done, I started thinking about what we could do to create the changes we want to see.

Although presidential elections receive all of hype, voting in state and local elections can be just as important in a lot of ways. These elections determine impact many of the everyday issues people face, such as transportation, public school systems, waste and sewage disposal, and taxes, just to name a few. If you live in an area with local schools that need additional funding, or dangerous roads that need to be fixed, state and local elections can make sure this gets done much quicker than presidential elections.

Local officials also determine where new housing and industrial properties will be built, which could affect the cost of living, as well as the amount of job opportunities in your area. By participating in politics on a smaller scale, many of the issues that are not directly handled by the president can be addressed. You can visit https://www.usa.gov/election-office for more information on your upcoming state and local elections, as well as results of previous elections.

Another way to help bring about change is to reach out to people who have similar passions and create your own organizations designed to bring awareness to a topic, or raise funding wherever needed. Community organizing can sound like it could be difficult to do or require a lot of money, but it may not be as difficult as you’d expect with the right people involved. As far as money is concerned, funds may be needed for promotional materials, but many of the people/organizations that have organized in the past did so with little to no money.

It could be something as small as hosting a local event to bring people together to talk about an issue, to organizing a march or protest for the issue. If you know local artists, you could organize an open mic type of event for your cause. With the help of social media, it’s easier than ever to connect with people on a variety of issues and if you’re interesting in making a change in your community, you could use this tool to your advantage.

Obviously, each president holds a lot of power, but there are still things we can do collectively and as individuals to create change. The changes many of us would like to see won’t happen overnight, but I believe these starting points could be helpful.

Photo courtesy of motherjones.com

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