Don't be discouraged

 It's no secret that we live in politically turbulent times! That said, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future of this country and the world at large. Don't believe me? It's not by accident that the House of Representatives is the most diverse that it has been in its entire history! Additionally, the previous speaker of the house is a woman, and she is only the second speaker to hold that office on two occasions. On top of all that, for the first time in American history we have a female vice president! I am well aware that turning on the news can be a frightening experience for a lot of people, even though I don't think it should be. Let me be clear, the United States and the world at large face major challenges. I don't deny that, nor am I minimizing the challenges that the world faces! I am simply saying that we need to put the times in which we live into the proper perspective. Put another way, we need to stop worrying about the problem and start thinking about the solution! The fact is the more time people waste focusing on the negative, the less energy people will have to put towards the positive. I sincerely believe that all of us play a part in the national attitude. All of us must do our part to maintain and preserve the core values of this country! Let me be very clear: I am not talking about religious faith or anything of the sort; I am talking about the preservation of freedom and democracy. Those are the values that need to be preserved above all else! I also believe that we will preserve them for as long as we believe they are worth preserving! I am begging you, please do your part to help preserve freedom and democracy! Don't listen to the doubters that say politics doesn't matter and that your vote doesn't count; it does matter and it does count! Freedom and democracy cannot afford to be minimized or questioned because the second we do, they will die! When freedom and democracy die, so does the dignity of the people, as well as all of the freedoms that so many people have given their blood, sweat, and tears to preserve! To close, I implore you not to be discouraged; do not give up on the political process; do not give up on democracy just because we face challenges at the moment! I know that it seems hard right now; that said, I am asking you to trust that our system works and, by extension, your fellow citizens!