Friend, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving today. I know that many of our holiday plans have been upended by the COVID-19 pandemic -- I am planning to celebrate and give thanks virtually with my family this evening.
But no matter how you are celebrating, I’m sure many of you will find yourself sharing a conversation with relatives or friends that have different political opinions than you do.
And while it’s understandable that we all hold strong feelings in such a divisive time, if the conversation turns to the election at your Thanksgiving, here’s a few things to keep in mind.
Most importantly -- voters have cast their ballots, the ballots were counted, there is a clear winner, and it’s time for us to move forward together as a country.
More Americans turned out to vote than ever before this year, with many braving needless obstacles to do so. And now that voters have spoken, we must uphold their decision and get to work to address the challenges our nation is facing.
That also means we can’t get distracted by getting caught up in conspiracy theories about election impropriety (which there is no evidence for). And, we also can’t let Trump’s desperate attempts to swing the election result get him the attention he’s after -- it would be playing into his hands as he attempts to sow chaos and distrust in our democratic system.
Finally, remember to stay positive -- and celebrate that voters did their jobs by turning out in record numbers and election officials did their jobs by counting every vote. That process -- and the peaceful transfer of power afterwards -- is important. We still have problems to solve and inequities to address, but a system like ours is a rarity in human history, and something we can all celebrate.
Friend, despite the rancorous tone of this election season, the fact that we can put aside our differences and move forward together is something I’m truly thankful for.
We doubtlessly still have major problems to address -- the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, attacks on our right to vote, and others that we’re going to need to work together to solve. But, I’m confident that our democracy -- with free, fair, and honest elections -- is the best way to do that.
I hope that no matter how you give thanks, that you do so with safety and kindness, and reflect on all you’re thankful for this year.
Personally, I am grateful for the millions of people who stepped up this year to make our democracy work in an election rife with challenges -- targeted vote suppression, a pandemic, a wave of online disinformation.
So whether you served as an Election Protection volunteer, or spoke up for the right to vote, or took part by casting your ballot -- I hope you remember that democracy takes all of us, and that together, we can accomplish great things.
Thanks for all you do,
Karen Hobert Flynn, President
and the team at Common Cause
P.S. One other way you can help is by sharing either of these short videos to help reassure and inform your friends and family --
Democracy Prevailed and
Peaceful Transfer of Power. You can also read this guide on
how to deal with online disinformation or take this course on how to spot disinfo with this
2-week text message course in English and Spanish.
