It’s All About Perspective…What Do We See?
Mondays with Michelle - May 13, 2024
Recently, a friend sent me the above image showing seemingly different shapes projected on a wall. However, they are part of a single solid image that neither projection fully represents. While the aspect of the wall projections is individually true, the perspective must change to see the full truth of the image.
I think this is true of our conversations with one another, especially around politics. We can easily speak past each other in our haste to make a point or need to be “right.” There are certain experiences I’ve had that I can definitely call “true,” that would seem diametrically opposed to someone else’s experience of “true”, like the image above illustrates. However, when I ask people about what they want to see for Indiana, they increasingly share what I would call People-centered policies. Like me, they are exhausted by negativity, scapegoating and fear-mongering. I find our point of agreement (aka “truth”) is often found at the intersection of answers to my asking questions like “What breaks your heart?” “What gives you hope?” “What do you see now or in the future?” These questions open up deep conversations and illuminate a path I can follow toward my next conversation. We may disagree on “how” we implement a policy or goal, but often, that is only because we lack the imagination to see the bigger picture. For too long we have let fear and scarcity dictate terms. Now is the time to imagine boldly.
My vision for Indiana is one of prosperity and equality, where our policies reflect the needs of the 99%, not the greed of the 1%. I envision a state that truly believes in investing in our children. Every child, regardless of where they live, must have access to the highest-quality public education, including K-12, college, trade schools, and, for some, adult education. This investment in our future will benefit not only our children but also our communities and our economy.
I want state-of-the-art comprehensive medical care, including reproductive and mental healthcare, with hospitals and medical facilities located within life-saving distances for even the most rural Hoosier. We need care that is prioritized over cost, where neither government nor shareholders stand between a patient and their medical provider. I want to see GoFundMe campaigns, denied claims, and medical bankruptcies become a distant memory.
I imagine a future where the healthiest food is grown in our own backyard, nourished by the purest water, the cleanest air, and nutrient-rich soils. Picture our wetlands and waterways protected, our forests meticulously maintained to sustain a diverse array of flora, fauna, and wildlife. This is the Indiana I envision: a state that cherishes its natural resources and achieves environmental sustainability.
Above all, I am committed to policies that benefit my neighbor. Housing, childcare, infrastructure, sustainable economic development, transportation, renewable energy, civil liberties, justice, the list goes on. These are not “nice things to have.” They are the very things individuals and families need and businesses look for when relocating. We get there together when we realize we need each other to fully implement sustainable solutions.
What do you see? For too long, moneyed interests have heavily influenced our state legislature, dividing us, exploiting our resources, and giving a false narrative of scarcity. But we are not powerless if we reorient our perspective. Now is the time to come together and demand a change. Hoosiers are not second-class citizens on the national stage! We must speak truth to power. If not now, when? If not us, who?
Are you with me?
[To continue reading this issue of Mondays with Michelle, visit https://mailchi.mp/89e243ad251c/mondays-with-michelle-11572122]
