A publication of the INTERCOMMUNITY PEACE & JUSTICE CENTER
If this current pandemic crisis has shown us anything, it is that our lives are deeply intertwined, and our actions do not affect just us, but also impact those around us. As we are so deeply connected, particularly at this moment of significant change, we can see how vital this election will be for each of us. We have the opportunity now to think about how our political systems can elicit social change. Additionally, we have to create an authentic, digital presence where there was once mainly a physical presence. This new way of being is changing our political discourse, and it will undoubtedly change the way we vote. In this issue of A Matter of Spirit, we unpack some of the many issues surrounding this election cycle. Gretchen Gundrum addresses the sacredness of voting, as persons of faith to use our right to vote for the greater good. Troy Medlin shares his experience of political engagement as a young voter. Tricia Hoyt highlights the complications of our immigration system as she details her pathway to citizenship. Christina Steffy addresses the spread of misinformation and the dangers of “fake news.” Mohit Nair discusses the systemic injustice of gerrymandering and voter suppression and offers a possible alternative. Lastly, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers share their insights on how we can create a dialogue that will move us from division to unity. We hope this issue of A Matter of Spirit will inspire you to engage in and think deeply about our democratic process as we get closer to November.
Help us Take Our Democracy Back BY GRETCHEN GUNDRUM
“ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity,…” so wrote Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities. The same could be said of our times during the pandemic we’re battling now. The uncertainty, the fear, the hypervigilance about enemy germs, giving wide berth to unmasked people on the street, avoiding eye contact (What if they have it?), the incredible grief in the anticipation of, or even perhaps the actual loss of loved ones to Covid-19—all this leaves us in a state of almost constant anxiety. Many distract themselves with Netflix, or binge on TV series they missed during the press of work lives and previously normal routines. Some succeed in doing projects long-delayed. Others are paralyzed and can’t seem to focus on much more than the work that’s expected by their employer—if they’re lucky enough to still be getting a paycheck. Fear lurks like rain pelting the top of an open umbrella, and social distancing leaves us feeling lost and hug-less, at a time when we sure could use a good hug. Watching the daily news with the latest numbers of deaths and infected, the mismanaged response from the federal government, the confusion among state governments about lockdowns, and seeing coronavirus curves arcing their way across the screen, state by state, country by country, sparks helplessness and despair. A steady diet of reality pushes away hope and humor
Samuel Branch
Elections 2020
NO. 127 / SUMMER 2020