I went to a Get Out the Vote event last night. Beyond signing in and sharing our commitment to vote for Harris/Walz, there was no talk of the election. We were invited to a bowling alley for this event by a description that read, “Do you like bowling? Do you like Democracy? Do you like joy?”
There is a time for play, and a time for rejoicing.
But then I came home, and I saw social media posts with pain about the invasion into Lebanon and an article about Dearborn, Michigan, where the majority of the population are Lebanese immigrants. In that article, many shared that they don’t feel comfortable voting this year, because they don’t believe either party is willing to protect the lives of their families. And these lives deserve freedom and protection.
Additionally, I spent part of the day with Jewish friends in my town, where anti-Semitism continues to grow; where a young, Jewish student was recently assaulted; where people are also afraid for their families in Israel; and where the summer was described as “intense.” These pains are right here in our towns. And these lives deserve freedom and protection.
There is a time for grieving, and a time for protecting.
This is a time to be present, listen, care, and act.
—Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 
It is such a shame that a foreign conflict is tearing us apart like this. President Biden is trying to convince two ruling parties to compromise for peace when what they want is victory.
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But the U.S. is also sending a great deal of the bombs that are making this happen.
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