I consider myself to be an apolitical person. I try to stay informed. I vote. But when it comes to politics, I prefer to listen to what others have to say more than I like to talk about what I think.
But after watching the first woman of color accept the nomination for the vice president of the United States of America, it’s hard to only watch. Especially because I am from the part of California she is from, am of Indian heritage, identify as the daughter of an immigrant father and experience the world as a mixed-race woman.
There are four generations of women in my family that are alive today. And this is the first time in any of our lives that a woman in a position of power looks like us. I am here because of the generations before me. As I watched this historic moment, tears of four generations of women flowed.
Amid the fight against coronavirus, structural racism, police brutality, and a world in chaos, there is this sensation that hope is waning. Although this chapter in our nation’s history may be dark, it’s important to realize that many things in our democracy were broken before the pandemic, but we still remain organized, persistent, and are working toward change.
Ernest Hemingway once said, “The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”
It’s ironic to think about strength coming from broken things. But when a woman shot in the head from less than 3 feet away is able to stand, walk, and speak, I see hope.
When children stand on a national platform and passionately discuss gun violence, climate change, and immigration, I see hope.
When I see a woman who looks like me accepting a nomination to the ticket of a major political party, I see hope.
Humans are complex. Humans are multifaceted. Humans are capable of grit and determination. This means that humans are also worthy of hope.
If I learned anything from watching this moment in history, I realize that it’s not about being a “Democrat” or a “Republican” it’s about being human.
What we do now will echo through future generations. My hope is that we choose to be better tomorrow than we are today.
Anjani Amladi is a psychiatrist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Anjani Amladi, MD.
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