Dear June,
What do I do now that the election is over? For the past year, I have been watching the news everyday. I have been listening to political podcasts about the election and I feel like I’ve watched the season finale of America and it won’t air again until 2020.
-In The Show Hole
ISH,
This sort of thing happens every year. Media outlets give you round-the-clock access to the presidential campaign and election, then the coverage and interest dies off. It is in that time of disinterest that the real damage happens. I urge you to pay attention. I urge you to keep listening to those podcasts. Keep watching the news. Be your own investigative journalist and don’t just accept things as they come. Let me give you an example:
Earlier this year, North Carolina passed a bill that forced transgender citizens to use the bathroom corresponding to the gender found on their birth certificate. The media coverage was huge and, as we would later discover, distracting. The horrendous bill not only attacked the LGBT community—it also limited the rights of all citizens. Here are a couple of things the public missed about this bill…
- The law changed the way in which citizens could file complaints about discrimination based on sexual orientation, religion, gender, race, and disability. With this law, you only have one year, instead of three years, to file the complaint.
- A county or city was not permitted to set a minimum wage for private employers.
So, as you can see, it is advantageous to read all the fine print before you sign anything. These changes hurt women and men of all backgrounds and sexual orientations.
Stay involved. Vote at every election, not just the presidential election. Attend your city council meetings. Listen to those podcasts and donate to keep them going. In fact, donate what you can afford to the candidate you want.
Fight the good fight,
June Spence
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About June
June was born and raised in the south where “bless your heart” is an insult. Self professed serial dater and an expert in all matters of the heart. June also enjoys volunteering, dancing and sewing.