Earlier this summer, I went to a little meet and greet for Independent Evan McMullin. For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful for our political future, and I wanted to get involved. I believe in working hard for what's right, and that night I couldn't get that feeling out of my bones. So I sat down and wrote this, and I'm sharing it here. I've always been interested in politics, but this year is the first time I've been actively involved in a campaign, even in just very tiny ways. But when honesty and integrity are on the line, what we do matters.
I am the mother of three unruly children. They are three tiny summer-bronzed tornadoes, and because of them I spend the majority of my days sweeping cereal off the kitchen floor and making dinners that no one will eat. But they are my hopes and dreams tied up in little human packages and I would do anything for them.
Feeding them and keeping them relatively tidy might feel like it takes up all my time, but I know that in the grand scheme of things, the most important task I can perform for my kids is to teach them to be good. If they can value and fight for what's good I know they will have the ability to find confidence and contentment no matter what comes their way.
This is how moms think. This is what we do. So taking my civic responsibilities seriously isn't just a fun little hobby. It's a way I can be an example for my children--and that's the most important thing there is. And in this moment, one of the best ways I can show them how to do good is by talking frankly about my support for Evan McMullin in his Senate bid opposing Mike Lee.
I was raised in a conservative home where we valued patriotism and the sanctity of personal freedom. I was taught to love my country, and this is a heritage for which I'll always be grateful. The foundation of these principles is, of course, respect for the rule of law and respect for the voice of the people as expressed through elections. Like so many others, I was greatly angered to learn that a Senator from Utah worked so hard to help Trump justify overturning the results of a free and fair election.
You shouldn't be able to cheat and get away with it. You shouldn't be able to demonstrate such disrespect for the people you serve and not stand rebuked. We know this. It's not complicated. These are the truths I teach my children everyday. Be honest. Be good. Be willing to understand where other people are coming from. These are the real ways to solve problems. These are the real ways to move forward with purpose and contentment.
In that vein, I find the moderate approaches that Evan McMullin thoughtfully espouses to be extremely refreshing. Somehow in the last few years, it seems that many Americans have come to value extremism over actual problem-solving. But why should it be more important to be the most extreme person in the room over being the most clear-eyed person in the room, or the most compassionate person in the room? It shouldn't be. McMullin's reasonable and moderate approaches to complex problems are a necessity in today's ultra-partisan political landscape and a breath of fresh air to down-to-earth moms like me. I'm saddened by our toxic divisions. Blind, pessimistic party loyalty should not be more important than simply telling the truth and working together to get things done. This isn't the legacy I want to leave my children. We can do better than this. We have to do better.
So what we do right now matters. Who we vote for matters, and I intend to vote for someone principled. I intend to vote for someone who can be effective because they are trying to do good. For my children, I intend to try my best to do what's good myself.
I'm a mom. It's what we do.
