Ho is a fourth-year student with an individual major in policy
and media studies. She is the president of Bruin Democrats.
By Melanie Ho
Many Americans might wish to live in a world where we could go
back several months in history. The protracted election would not
yet have occurred with its spurious electoral practices and voter
intimidation. Five Supreme Court justices would not yet have
hypocritically defied their own philosophies of judicial restraint
and state’s rights in a self-interested stroke to assure the
presidency of a man who will appoint justices with views similar to
their own. President-elect George W. Bush would not have yet
nominated for his cabinet individuals who will be offensive to
environmental regulation and civil rights.
For numerous reasons, returning to the pre-election months might
present something preferable to reality. But, we do not live in the
world of some fantastical Hollywood film where a director can yell
“Cut!” and order a retake. In a post-production film
screening, no focus group can point out that the first ending to
“Indecision 2000″ was unfair or unsatisfying and
request the alternate ending. For those 50,996,116 Americans who
voted for Gore and for many other Americans who did not but are
equally dismayed by the results of the election, the question is
this: Now what?
To continue the film analogy, the answer is simple: we must act
by being active, by realizing our ability and our responsibility as
citizens, and to help with the directing and producing of the
nation’s future.
I urge all liberals and others who may be disillusioned with a
Bush presidency to not extend this disillusionment to politics in
general ““ to not shy away from action. Please do not believe
the misconception that politics is just a game to be won and lost
and that we should just wait silently for the next round in four
years. The result of this election ““ and any election for
that matter ““ is important because of its implication on
public policy, which comprises of the government decisions and
actions that affect almost every aspect of our society, ranging
from education to health care, to criminal and civil justice, to
trade and to the economy.
 Illustration by GRACE HUANG/Daily Bruin I’m often
asked why I am a liberal and a Democrat. To me, identifying with a
political party and having strong political beliefs is not about
winning, gaining power or playing some fierce game that makes for
good television.
I am a liberal because I believe that certain policies are
better for our nation ““ policies that will give all Americans
the needed tools to realize their potential. I believe in policies
that promote civil rights, labor rights and social justice; that
stand for affordable and fair health coverage; that promote equal
opportunity regardless of gender, race, disability or sexual
orientation. I am a Democrat, because I believe that the Democratic
party is in the best position to enact those policies that I care
about.
If you are as appalled as I am with the election of George W.
Bush, I ask you to please not be fooled by the myth that tells you
not to act upon your political ideals because politics are not
noble. Bipartisanship is an important factor in our nation’s
governance; contrary to what many Republicans seem to be saying
these days, however, bipartisanship does not mean that Democrats
and liberals should ignore their beliefs and passively cooperate on
policies and decisions that we think are detrimental to the
nation’s future.
I am not suggesting, by any means, that each of you quit your
day job, storm the White House, or completely restructure your
lives around CSPAN programming. But, if you have not yet made your
New Year’s resolutions (or even if you have), consider some
of the following ways to show your commitment to liberal and
Democratic policies and ideals without drastically changing your
life or your schedule:
Stay informed and spread the word. You do not have to pore
through pages of legislation to be an informed voter. At the same
time, television news and even newspapers will often only give you
a part of the story ““ that which will “sell” to
the public, not that will best inform you of what is going on. Find
the issues that matter to you (education or abortion or trade or
the environment or something else) and get the specific details.
Try the Electronic Policy Network at www.epn.com for links and
information from many top (mainly liberal) public policy
organizations and advocacy groups. When something intrigues you,
pass it on; e-mail it to a friend or better yet, reach a broad
audience and write a letter-to-the-editor of local newspapers.
Letters-to-the-editor do not need to require hours of research
and writing. Sometimes they are as short as a paragraph.
Contact elected representatives. This is not just something from
your high school civics class. Whether it is because (ideally) they
are elected to represent the people or because (cynically) they
want our votes, by and large, elected officials do care about what
we think. But they won’t know until we tell them. Visit
www.house.gov and www.senate.gov for listings of Congressional
representatives.
Also, volunteer. Volunteering can take many forms. It can mean
helping with political campaigns or political interest groups. But
it can also mean volunteering for groups concerned with the issues
that you care about. If you’re concerned about poverty in the
United States, learn about issues of wage and welfare. Volunteer
for candidates and organizations that promote the policies you
believe will help resolve the problems.
But remember also that policy isn’t the only way to help
the issues you care about. Volunteering at a homeless shelter or
for a community center in a low-income neighborhood will enable you
to make a direct impact on the same issue and to learn more about
it.
Help to strengthen the left.
What does it mean to be “left-of-center”? Such a
term encompasses those who identify themselves as Democrats and
those who do not, and those who consider themselves to be moderate,
liberal or progressive at varying degrees. All of us, however, must
realize what common goals we do have, create a productive dialogue
on those goals, and work together to achieve them.
Join an organization that promotes the causes you care about and
help to build relationships with similar groups. Or just talk to
people you know and remain open to different perspectives and
approaches to reaching the same goals.
Such small actions on each of our parts can have influence on
policies and people. But, I do not wish to tint this article with
rose-colored glass. Everything that is wrong about a Bush
presidency will not be magically set right by taking the above
steps. Realistically, many actions of the Bush administration in
the next four years will be difficult, painful and upsetting to
those of liberal persuasion. The Republicans only have a slim
majority in the House of Representatives and many Americans are not
satisfied with the outcome of the election nor fully convinced of
Bush’s legitimacy.
But, George W. Bush will be president and will have the amazing
power and influence that comes with the job.
That said, complaining alone about Bush’s inadequacies and
the flaws of his policies will not accomplish anything. George W.
Bush may, in many respects, have control over the national scene,
but he is not the sole author of the nation’s future.
Obviously, the past cannot be changed; we cannot rewind through
history and re-record. But to the question of “Now
what?” we can be a part of the answer.