Four years ago, a new malady hit the American public—ESD. “Election stress disorder” affected more than half the voters in the nation. The symptoms are headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, light-headedness, and spiking of blood pressure. Small wonder; the 2016 election cycle, like none in our history, demeaned public discourse, denigrated the public good, and diminished the democratic process.



And now, in 2020, as a new presidential election is rapidly approaching, ESD is on the rise again. This time, a substantial number of Americans are jittery about the future of democracy itself. They are deeply concerned that the Trump administration has led us away from the traditional democratic values of equality, fairness, justice, and opportunity based on the public good; and replaced these values with cynicism, greed, and selfishness motivated by the compulsion for personal power and private gain. And they are also deeply troubled, that in doing so, Mr. Trump has demonstrated that he has either an alarming ignorance of, or utter contempt for: The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the rule of law.



In the early days of our nation, Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense that the highest vocation of an individual in a democracy is that of being a citizen. What he meant was that civic engagement and political involvement are the lifeblood of a democracy.



During the Trump impeachment hearings, Congressional Republicans, as an excuse to justify the abdication of their Constitutional obligations, kept repeating the mantra, “We have an election soon, let the people decide.” Well, that election will happen on Nov. 3. There are also critical elections for Congress. This election is about the future of democracy. That’s why it is important that each and every one of us gets involved. We can contribute energy, time, money, or all three. And we can make a difference. For too long, Americans have been serious about unserious issues and unserious about serious issues. Perhaps the tragic consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic will force us to get serious about serious issues.



TWENTY-FIVE REASONS TO GET INVOLVED:



If you are thinking of sitting out the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections on November 3, think again; because the results will, directly and indirectly, affect you and your whole family in ways that you never imagined. So think about the issues that matter to you. It’s worth the effort as the stakes are high! The most crucial issues to consider, not necessarily in order of importance, are: -more-