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Since this may be the last newsletter you see before the election, I wanted to talk about it some. Apologies to our members outside the US, this probably won’t apply directly to you.

First, vote. Seriously. It does count. Even if it is hard to see that – and I say this as someone who has never lived in a state that was even close to being ‘swing’ (Indiana, South Carolina, Illinois, & Alabama). How I vote has never influenced a national election, not once. Yet, I have voted in every election I have been able to.

There is more than the national race, of course. From state-level representation to ballot initiatives, there is a lot to decide when you vote. So even if you truly believe your vote doesn’t matter at the national level, it can at the state or local level.

Sadly, American politics, especially as expressed online, has devolved into a good/evil dichotomy. Gone are the days when we tried to operate as if the other side was after the same basic end result and we merely disagreed on the process. With the rise of internet echo chambers, we find that the conversation is increasingly ‘my side good and righteous and holy, their side bad and vile and evil’. And that just isn’t the case. Most of us agree on the things we all want to see happen. Yes, there are fringe cases – no political system is without them – and there is always going to be those individuals who start with burning it all down. Most of us are not in that camp.

• So, as we approach the election, I want you to do some things.
  Remember that we are, organizationally, apolitical. I hope you all have personal political alignments, regardless of their alignment with my own. And I hope you are all active at your level of interest or comfort within those alignments. However, TRMN is not the place for them. This is a general statement, not one aimed at any person, persons, groups, or events.
• Remember that as confused or offended as you may be at someone else’s political alignment, there is someone who feels the exact same way about yours. And think how you would like to be treated before acting.
• Consider a break from social media. This is one of the echo chambers I mentioned above. Social media does not reward reasoned or thoughtful expressions. It rewards memes and over the top expressions. Social media has a lot of potential for good…but is too often a force for…not evil per se, but certainly not for good. If you can, take a breather.
• Remember that we are all in this together. Regardless of the outcome, we are all still members of the RMN, and still neighbors, friends, and compatriots. Your opinion of the outcome of the election should not break those bonds.
• Remember that just because someone is a shipmate, echelon CO, fleet CO, or higher, you do not have to connect over social media. You don’t have to agree with them, or pretend to, in order to remain in a chapter with them. It’s ok to unfollow your shipmates. Really. While I prefer to mute, or unfollow, it is even ok to unfriend them. And if you need to for your own mental or emotional health, then do it! Really. It’s ok.
• Lastly, remember to show the kind of grace or behavior you wish to be shown. Let people back off…we force engagement with pirates and slavers, not each other.

This was long, and I hope you read it, and thought about at least something in there. It is important that we try to focus on what unites us, not what divides us.

Now get out there and vote!