Thucydides, our young citizens, and our election

https://www.history.com/.amp/topics/ancient-history/thucydides

Having reviewed But realism is tempered with idealism.

We are indeed tired as a nation of ethical failures in politics. I read my young daughter’s recent IG story. She discusses lesser of two evils in her exhortation to vote. It truly touched my heart.It is so eloquently expressed. As an election official, she placed her safety at risk during COVID and lent her passion for justice to go into positive action to assist at the polls. I saw her visual representation of the small Chinese immigrant child she once was juxtaposed with herself looking down at her volunteer badge. I can only imagine how the rhetoric of hate about China has wounded her. Thucydides would call that kind of hate-mongering unethical. I call it dangerous and destabilizing to our founding principles.

Another immigrant daughter of ours was so reluctant to vote. She spoke to me like this when I asked that she never allow herself to become disenfranchised or marginalized. She stated, “I cannot become any of those things because I do not vote. (There is to me) a false sentiment of power of the individual through voting, especially as a minority.” Again, eloquently expressed and piercing my mother’s heart. With no small measure of encouragement from her sister and me, she posted her “I voted!” sticker shortly thereafter.

We pass the torch to the younger ones. Hopefully speaking, they will make the right things happen to shore up our republic. Should their practical realism threaten their participation in our democratic traditions. Lest they lose faith in our election processes, we all need to continue to question authority’s ethics. Have the hard talks. Teach your children well.