A Deeply Moral Act
Voting is a decisive statement of Christian faith that I matter, justice matters, and others matter.
by Richard Rohr
Low voter turnout is generally a sign of a demoralized society, and people of power feed on that demoralization, knowing that they can then easily gerrymander, suppress and limit voting rights, and give elections to the rule of money and lobbyists—and there will be little outcry, because there is so little trust or even interest in the whole system anyway.
Yet this is largely where the U.S. is today.
The powers that control society are quite happy that it is always minorities of all stripes that first feel this powerlessness and this demoralization. Since the early days of representative government, it has been believed that democracy would only work if there was a truly free and informed citizenry. We presently seem to lack both in the U.S. This is why voting is a deeply moral act for me—in rebuilding confidence and encouraging an intelligent and hope-filled society. It is also a decisive act of Christian faith that I matter, society matters, justice matters, and others matter.
Not to vote is to hand our power and our dignity over to people who fear actual freedom, honest intelligence, and faith in the very goodness of humanity.
Voting for Change
I vote because many of my brothers and sisters can’t.
by Myrna Pérez
I vote for a lot of reasons. I love joining my fellow citizens in a community-minded act. I love having a say in picking the leaders who get to decide on things that matter to me. Increasingly, I love to vote and feel compelled to vote because I know there are about 4.5 million Americans living and working in communities across the country who cannot because they have a criminal conviction in their past.
Many states severely limit if not outright prohibit Americans with criminal convictions from voting, but there is a lot of inconsistency. In two states, persons never lose their voting rights even while they are incarcerated. In 15 states, a person is able to vote automatically upon release from prison (or if they were never incarcerated for their crime). On the other end, any felony conviction in three states—Iowa, Kentucky, and Florida—will result in permanent disenfranchisement unless the government specifically restores an individual’s rights. The rest of the states are somewhere in the middle.
When I vote, I remember that Jesus was “convicted” and executed as a criminal alongside other criminals. When I vote, I remember that God calls me to reconcile with my neighbors who have past convictions. When I vote, I remember that some of my brothers and sisters can’t. And I vote to try to change that.
Harnessing the Power of Culture
Connecting young people to the civic process.
In the 20th century, young people fought for equality. In the 21st century, young people are still fighting for equality but also fighting for opportunity and existence. Opportunity to thrive; access to good paying jobs, no student debt, affordable housing. And, sadly, gun violence, police brutality, and climate change are all matters of life and death.
Every year, 4 million young people turn 18 and become eligible to vote. Their vote is powerful. It has the ability to create reforms that will lead to a more inclusive direction for our country and destroy the old “isms”—racism, sexism, ageism—that have anchored and held our country back for far too long. That’s why, in its 10th year, Hip Hop Caucus’ Respect My Vote! campaign (RespectMyVote.com) is harnessing the power of culture to connect young people to the civic process.
Young people know this is their time to make a better future for all. Their vote matters. All our votes matter. A brighter future lies ahead, but it is only achievable if we show up and vote. We give away our power and chance at equality, opportunity, and existence if we don’t.
Aligning with Harmony
Voting is the easiest part of the process for making positive change—and it is the very least that I can do to maintain my integrity.
I vote because people’s lives matter.
It would feel very self-centered for me to say I care about my Earth community (including people and all other creation) and then not do everything I can to make a positive difference. I honestly believe I can make the world a better place. This is especially true when it concerns marginalized people in our society; I use any power I have to help others. My own faith traditions of following Jesus and my Indigenous ways compel me to work for everyone’s well-being, not just my own. I vote with a bias for the common good, for the policies that align with shalom or harmony.
But I don’t just vote. After critically examining and engaging the candidates and the issues, I advocate for those persons and policies that I think will make the world a better place. I expose the issues and I attempt to educate and influence others through my writings, protests, and public advocacy and through my speaking engagements. Voting is simply the easiest part of the whole process for making positive change and it is the very least that I can do to maintain my integrity as a fellow Earth dweller with all of creation.
A Precious and Hard-Gained Right
For Asian Americans, access to voting was slow in coming.
As an Asian American, I cannot ignore how white Americans treated my forebears in their early days in this country. Asian Americans built the railroads, and many lost their lives in that effort. They worked in harsh conditions in the Hawaiian sugar cane industry and in gold and silver mining. Many worked and died as indentured workers who couldn’t marry or move around without permission, and who never made enough money to return to their country of origin if they so desired.
Living in harsh conditions, Asian Americans had little power to challenge their exploitation and oppression. In 1882, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which prevented Chinese people from entering the U.S. It was the country’s first ban of any ethnic group. The Chinese people who were already in the U.S. had to carry papers and prove their residency if stopped by police. The ban was supposed to last only 10 years, but it remained in effect until 1943, when Chinese immigrants were finally allowed to vote—nearly 100 years after Asian Americans began migrating to the U.S. Voting rights for those from India and other Asian nations soon followed.
Until they were granted the right to vote, these immigrant communities were limited in their ability to fight for their labor rights in the fields, in the mines, and on the railroads. They could not run for office and were unable to impact U.S. politics. We need to remember the lapses in order to emphasize the country’s stated ideals—and call the nation to live into them fully.
Today, citizens of all ethnicities have the right to vote. We cannot take this for granted. We have the power to vote—the power to make a difference. We can’t forget how precious that is.
A Better Tomorrow
God created us to be a community responsible for each other.
I vote because I believe God created us to be our brother and sister’s keeper and made us a community responsible for each other. Knowing that life is a gift from God that must be preserved and protected always from birth to death, we all have a responsibility to defend all human life with dignity and respect.
I vote because if I don’t, I will have failed to do my part in contributing to a better tomorrow, a place where all humanity can live together in peace, and a day when our leaders will stand and fight for justice.
The question is, do you vote? If not, why not?
Affirming the Divine Imprint
Pastors and lawyers will provide a moral and legal presence against voter suppression.
Our faith teaches us that all people are created in the image of God. Protecting the right to vote affirms the divine imprint and inherent value of all of God’s children. Nothing diminishes the rule of law and our precious democracy more than voter suppression and efforts to marginalize and reduce the power of vulnerable voters.
Protecting the precious right to vote as a core value of American citizenship is the reason why Skinner Leadership Institute has joined Sojourners in the Lawyers and Collars program of voter protection and engagement (lawyersandcollars.org). The purpose of the Lawyers and Collars program is to equip and empower pastors and local church leaders in sacred garb to work alongside lawyers to protect vulnerable citizens in voting precincts. Together, they will provide a combined legal and moral presence against voter suppression, intimidation, and harassment expected to rise in the 2018 midterm elections.
One of the most potent elements of the Lawyers and Collars program is the “We Are Watching” meetings with secretaries of state and other elected officials across the country. Clergy leaders in selected states will remind elected officials that Lawyers and Collars will be monitoring the election process to ensure every citizen can exercise their right to vote. The program will also provide state-level gatherings and voter-protection training sessions.
We urge pastors and clergy leaders to join us in protecting the right to vote, a fundamental right of citizenship.
Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (cac.org), lives in Albuquerque, N.M., and is a Sojourners contributing editor.
Myrna Pérez is director of the Voting Rights and Elections program at the Brennan Center for Justice and a Sojourners contributing editor.
Mustafo Santiago Ali is senior vice president of climate, environmental justice, and community revitalization at the Hip Hop Caucus.
Dr. Randy Woodley is author of Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision (Eerdmans); his podcast, Peacing It All Together, can be found at peacingitalltogether.com. Dr. Woodley and his wife, Edith, operate Eloheh Indigenous Center for Earth Justice and Eloheh Farm near Portland, Ore., where he is distinguished professor of faith and culture at Portland Seminary.
Rev. Dr. Grace Ji-Sun Kim (@Gracejisunkim) is an associate professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion. She is the author of 18 books, including Reimagining Spirit and Embracing the Other: The Transformative Spirit of Love.
Sister Norma Pimentel is the Executive Director for Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.
Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner is co-convener of the National African American Clergy Network and president of the Skinner Leadership Institute.
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