When I talk to friends and acquaintances about politics, some of things I hear over and over are, “What’s the point? Both sides are the same,” “They’re all crooks,” and “They don’t care about the little guy.” There is a lot of disillusionment to politics right now – and for good reason. When we read the national news, we see governors using asylum-seekers as props to score political points. We see games played with judicial appointments. We see norms that used to be sacrosanct discarded like last week’s leftovers. We see politicians lie, and then not care when they’re called out. We see blatant corruption. We see one side refusing to talk to the other.

Who can blame folks for not wanting to get involved in THAT? How can you even begin to fix something that looks so broken?

The truth is that getting involved is EXACTLY the cure for fixing broken systems. If we ignore them, they don’t go away. When the oil light comes on in your car, do you just ignore it and keep driving?

Khale Lenhart wrote an excellent opinion piece for WyoFile a few days ago. I suggest you give it a read.

Too often we look at politics through the national lens, and it does seem daunting – if not impossible – to affect positive change at the top. But that’s not how this works.

To affect sweeping change, we start AT HOME. We talk to one another. We work together to elect honest, good people to local positions. The change starts at the bottom of the pyramid, and it grows upward.

Do national politics affect us here in Wyoming? Of course. But you’re affected so much more by your local races. The Wyoming State Legislature, County Commissioners, County Clerks, City Council – every one of these positions or bodies have an outsized impact on your day-to-day life.

Getting involved locally not only serves your community well, but also builds a healthy base for that pyramid. Local offices filled with honest, hard-working people sets the stage for statewide offices filled with honest, hard-working people. We build the pyramid one block at a time, onward and upward.

Getting involved is also incredibly fulfilling. Knowing that you’re doing your part to make a difference is its own reward.

Getting involved might mean working to get a pothole fixed. It might mean speaking at a school board meeting in support of inclusive book selections. It might even just be attending County Commission meetings and reporting back to interested folks. Involvement takes on many shapes and sizes.

It might even mean coming to your local County Party meeting, sending a donation, or volunteering at an event.

Pyramids aren’t built alone. Come lend a hand – your community needs you.