Wisconsin Autism Empowerment

There’s a classic prayer in the Christian tradition called the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” It has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other support groups and quoted in mainstream culture.  The wisdom the prayer offers is a useful tool in times of stress.

At our group gatherings, there is a high level of anxiety over the state of our country. Many feel overwhelmed, some feel disenfranchised, and all are uncertain of what’s going to happen. 

Much of what’s happening is far beyond our control.  Being aware but separating from those things is important for our mental health in times of change and uncertainty.  But some things are in our control—things we can each do toward the change we want to see. 

The simplest thing to do is vote.  Use your voice toward the future you want.  The first step is to register if you’re not. https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ is where you can register online.  You can also request an absentee ballot on this site, making the process simple.  We now have ballot drop boxes in most areas, so it’s simple to return if you choose not to mail it back.  If you prefer to vote in person, this site will show you where your polling place is.  It even has links to sign up for a ride to the polls.

My family finds the ‘what’s on my ballot’ tool helpful. It shows us all the choices that will be in front of us so we can do our research and be prepared. The smaller roles are important, and we seldom hear about those candidates before they’re on a ballot for us to choose from. Local and county officials affect our daily lives with their actions, and they are the pipeline of candidates for bigger positions going forward. 

Another good resource is the Disability Vote Coalition, https://disabilityvote.org. There are resources to see what issues are important for anyone with a disability and the candidate positions on those issues.  For example, Medicaid expansion or elimination.  Or if neurodiverse labels should be included or excluded as part of disability services. Employment protections for those with a disability expanded, continued, or ended. These are the kinds of positions that will affect your life directly. 

I suggest you research the candidates like a detective. Don’t believe everything you read. Compare and contrast actions vs. promises, platform vs. record. Listen to your inner judgment as you listen to them. Watch their behavior. How does it make you feel? Go online and read from a variety of sources. What is the candidate’s political party, and what is that party’s position on issues that matter to you?

Be careful about misinformation.  The TV ads are full of lies. For example, there are ads claiming that ‘illegal immigrants are getting government benefits.’  However, you need a social security number to get government benefits; only legal citizens get one.  These ads are paid for by candidates’ campaigns or super PACs with a vested interest in a candidate or political party.  A clear example is the ads slamming hybrid and electric car regulations, which are paid for by the petroleum industry. 

When deciding to choose a media outlet, be sure to check that they have thorough fact reporting and limited bias. Ad Fonte has an Interactive Media Bias Chart that will allow you to view which agencies have thorough fact reporting and political bias. It can be found here: https://adfontesmedia.com/interactive-media-bias-chart/. Be careful to pull up the actual media sites vs. the fake sites. Know what these candidates want to change in our world and your life. Realize that our system is supposed to have checks and balances within the government, so one role is not supposed to have the power to make sweeping changes without systemic agreement. 

Serenity prayer method: Do what you can, and vote responsibly with knowledge.  If you can do more, do it. I will be driving voters to the polls as a volunteer.  If you support a candidate, help their campaign. If there are issues you feel strongly about, educate others and speak up. Try to let go of the things beyond our control. Many of us cannot afford to buy a TV ad campaign or stop false ads from running. But here, too, we can point to where lies are being spread to others. 

Breathe.  We will get through this.