Things to Think About

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I haven’t been in a wordy mood lately. Probably because I’ve been deep in thought and discussion about recent world and domestic events.

Whenever touchy subjects come up in daily conversation, I think back to this post I wrote. It’s healthy to have opinions and free discourse—that’s when learning and growth happens—what isn’t so great is when someone forces their opinion on someone else and it impacts their lives negatively.

And I guess that’s politics in a nutshell: a constant back-and-forth between (primarily) two dominant groups who believe “the other guy” is wrong.

I personally try to take the approach of never forcing anyone to agree with me, but I do my best to lead by example. I take the time to educate myself about topics—political, social, cultural—and will of course come into my opinions based on what I’ve learned, the experiences I’ve had, and the stories I’ve heard from others (whether they’ve had similar or different experiences from mine).

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Being a scientist and very much into primary sources and sharing links (lol), I wanted to share some resources that could be helpful in the coming months as we near the midterms. Even if you’re a reader who is not an American citizen, sharing this info with your American friends would do wonders…

If you haven’t already, register to vote:

If you are able to vote in the upcoming midterms (Tuesday, November 8th), please take the time to register now and start doing your research on the state officials who will be on your ballot this fall: https://vote.gov/

Not all states allow for online registration, so it’s best to take care of things well before deadlines.

Vote, even if you’ll be overseas:

 If you are an American citizen working overseas, here’s the link to register with the state that you consider your domicile:

Federal Voting Assistance Program: https://www.fvap.gov/

If it’s been a while since you last resided in the US, you can still vote:

More information on who qualifies: https://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter/voting-residence

Volunteer to help others register to vote or on election day:

Remind others who are able to vote to register too. If you have the time and are able to do so, volunteer to help register voters or get people to the polls on election day. “Overly complicated or challenging registration processes are one of the most common forms of voter suppression, and they disproportionately impact communities of color”: this blog post lists five ways to volunteer

An interesting map…

My deep thoughts and discussions with others in recent days lead me to this striking visual:

https://reproductiverights.org/maps/worlds-abortion-laws/

It is a global map showing how abortion laws are carried out throughout the world. Regardless of where one stands on the issue, I think the map is pretty powerful in demonstrating how even on a global scale, accessibility stands at being completely prohibited to completely unrestrictive.

I prefer sharing informational resources vs. screenshots of so-called Twitter saviors 😉

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We are living in really heated times, and it’s important to remember we are all processing things differently. Some people will get snappy for what seems like no reason, but we’re all going through something, even if it seems like the world is after only us.

Be open-minded. Be proactive. But most of all, be kind.