The Lesser of Two Evils!
Today is Election Day.
That means today, Tuesday, November 5, is the last day to cast our votes for a host of political offices that have the power to determine the course of the future for our individual and communal lives.
If you have been paying attention, you may have heard the “I am not voting for the lesser of two evils” argument. If you have not, it goes something like, “Well I am not participating because both parties stand for the same thing, and they are just opposite sides of the same evil coin.”
As people of faith and goodwill, we know a thing or two about evil and are, in many respects, in places and positions where we could sparce out what is evil vs what is good. And while that is worth exploring, I will leave that to better-trained folks.
Where we want to focus is on the idea of two. As it is set up, the argument posits that we should not participate because we only have two choices that feel equally bad. The fact is, however, no voter in Illinois has only two choices to make when they vote in this election.
To start, there are at least seven slates of candidates running to be president. And those slates run the gamut of the political spectrum. While two slates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, have dominated the airwaves (mail pieces, conversations on the train), other folks on the ballot are seeking votes to be president. So, in that regard, there are not just two choices, and they certainly all aren’t evil choices!
Then, to follow that, when we go to vote in Illinois (and in case you have not, today, Tuesday, November 5, is the last day to vote), we have a number of other offices to vote for. For example, many voters will have the chance to vote to elect judges. Again, while not as heavily funded, these judges have a lot of power to determine the lives we live in Illinois. The judges that we will be voting for in this election are involved in everything from traffic tickets to divorces, lawsuits, evictions, and criminal cases. They can take or restore anyone’s freedom as well as overturn state laws. Those positions are not insignificant by any stretch of the imagination.
Many voters in Chicago will also get to decide who will sit on the school board — the result of a monumentally long and equally strategic campaign run by grassroots groups! The school board will make important decisions related to the everyday lives, educational outcomes, and futures of our children and city!
Today is Election Day. That means, today, Tuesday, November 5, is the last day to cast our votes for a host of political choices that have the power to determine our future.
Many elections ago, it might have been fair to say the choices we had were the lesser of two evils, but today that is spiritual and intellectual dishonesty. The choices we have range the political spectrum, and we all have some obligation to lend our voice to the future we want by voting for issues and candidates that speak to our best ideas!
Community Renewal Society (CRS) encourages all who read this to make that choice.
In addition to voting, we also invite folks to take our “My Congregation Votes” 2024 campaign Voter Pledge and be part of our work.
In solidarity,
Keron Blair
CRS Community Outreach and Capacity Building Manager for Organizing and Policy