ArcaMax

According to a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, 28% of people polled are still weighing their options for president. I find this hard to believe. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are not only very familiar candidates (I mean, we've been exactly here before), but they are also completely different in political stance and ideology. Perhaps that 28% are considering voting for one of the other candidates running independently. Otherwise, I just don't get it.

For the other 70% of voters who do know who they are voting for, I have a request. Stop fighting about it. The truth of the matter is that we, the American people, voted in a primary election to place Joe Biden and Donald Trump exactly in the positions they are in right now. It's done. You know how you plan to vote and nothing can change your mind, so stop posting memes that only serve to poke fun at the candidates for superficial reasons. No, I don't care about clever references to age, weight or any other physical attribute. Stop posting self-righteous memes, and instead, let's start talking about the actual issues at hand in our communities.

There's a famous quote that often gets attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Whether or not she actually said it is up for debate, but the quote itself is a good one, and it's one that applies here.

There are plenty of issues and ideas that are more worthy of our discourse than whatever cheap shot zinger you can come up with to post about the candidate you despise. Let's talk about the things that warrant our attention in each and every city -- such as our public school systems, our affordable housing crisis. Inflation. Children who are hungry, the opioid crisis and our homeless population. And I don't mean talk about them in a way that points a finger and assigns blame. Save your blame for when it's time to vote. Your vote says a lot about who you think can help us take care of our most vulnerable populations. Let's talk about issues in a way that requires each of us to invest time and energy into our communities, understand the root causes and develop true ways to help. Then, go help.

I get it. If it's simply someone's fault, then there's somewhere for your anger to flow and you can sleep at night. Yes, please vote. In 2020, 66% of the voting-eligible population showed up to vote, and I hope 2024 surpasses that number. But also, do more than vote.

Decide to truly listen to the stories of humanity. Our stories underscore the tragedy and trauma in human experience and inspire action. It becomes harder to sleep at night when we know the hardships our fellow human beings are suffering happen due to lack of access to choices or without recourse. It's heartrending, but it can also be motivating.

Memes are easy. They're cheap and they help no one. Don't post them, and don't share them when others do. I challenge you to instead do the hard work of learning how you can really be part of the solutions in your hometown, because that's where the rubber meets the road for any legislation or policy. Turn off your phone, shut your laptop and decide right now to be part of an actionable community solution.

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Check out Bonnie's weekly YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/bonniejeanfeldkamp. To find out more about Bonnie Jean Feldkamp and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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