I have never been so absolutely riveted as when watching this week’s Democratic National Convention. It is truly history in the making, the flowering of humanity at a pivotal time, the coming together of diversity, the triumph of love over hate, and the breaking of a glass ceiling that opens to a new world. 

Not that it’s been smooth or predictable. If you’ve paid attention, you know that the Hillary and Bernie camps haven’t been the epitome of harmony, that those in the spotlight have trails of history behind them, and that the press seizes upon any potential conflict with an exponential magnifying glass, whose shards broadcast division everywhere. 

But there is something much bigger here that is emerging, something palpable and inspiring. It is a shining light in the uncertainty of change, a possibility that at last, America may be awakening as a beacon of hope in a world whose future is dangling by a thread. 

America has been a world leader for a long time, ever since we were the first adolescents to break away from our parent country back in the American Revolution. As a nation, we have been known for many things: strong and powerful protectors of other countries; leaders in science and technology; the best in entertainment and media; and one of the freest places on earth. A noble past. 

And for a while there, we were moving away from that nobility. Our wars and domination, our rampant consumption, our crass media, our refusal to take responsibility for what we’re doing to the planet, were indeed a frightening downturn. 

But now I see a new emergence not of technology or military power—but a blazing demonstration of what it looks like to embrace the diversity of our world; to solve problems with diplomacy over force; to work together toward a vision of what we can become, rather than be ruled by a fear of what we have become. 

This election is more than a contest between two people, two parties, or even between a male and a female running for president. It is a stark contrast of world views, each in their extreme. 

The world of elitist domination through empire, rampant with fear and control, tainted by racism, violence, and xenophobia, with the American dream being reduced to the size of your bank account—an old story, ruled by the love of power. 

And next to it, the early green shoots of a new world, albeit a messy one, of tolerance, cooperation, collaboration, hope, and yes, the power of love.

I have lived through eleven elections since I became old enough to vote. I have seen the wasteland wrought by the love of power and the emptiness and despair that ensues, but I have also seen the impotence of naïve idealism. I know that a few random votes can make the difference between whether a million Iraqis die or whether climate catastrophe is addressed in time. It is not a time for apathy or divisive grievances, but a time to bring all hands on deck and steer this ship to a viable future. 

This may be the most important election of our lives. We can stand together or we can fall apart. 

It is the people’s choice now, and we are choosing a worldview. We can choose love over hate. We can choose inclusion over exclusion. We can support a woman who has taken every abuse possible, and still remains standing, to change the tide of 240 years. 

Do more than vote. Believe in it. Carry the banner of possibility from your heart into action. We are making history. Together. 

And, by the way, I’m with Her.

Blessings,
Anodea