Recent discussions surrounding the election have brought certain terms back into the spotlight – most notably labels like “felon” and “criminal.” As someone who has faced the reality of having two felonies, I want to reflect on why using such labels can be harmful, especially in the context of our democracy.

Understanding the Impact of Labels

The word “felon” not only critiques individuals but also instills fear in the public. Using that word to disparage a public figure perpetuates a narrative that those with felony records are dangerous or untrustworthy when, in reality, many of us are simply fighting to reclaim our freedom and autonomy. It’s a painful irony that while some enjoy their rights without question, others are stripped of their voices due to past mistakes, and for many, the right to vote is gone forever.

It was hard to watch this election unfold without being able to participate. It was also difficult to see how quickly people were using the word “felon” to dehumanize and play into fear. Our culture historically focuses on fear-based narratives to influence people without any regard for the impact.

I don’t believe anyone should ever have to experience the loss of their constitutional rights for any reason – not for a crime, their gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, criminal conviction, or whether they’re on parole, extended supervision or probation.

The Need for Compassionate Discourse

In a world where political opinions can divide us, it’s essential to choose our words carefully.  Instead of reducing complex individuals to mere labels, let’s focus on the broader issues at play, such as the urgent need for people to have their basic needs met.

The ability to have a safe and secure place to live and human connections is essential. In Wisconsin, those with a felony conviction face over 14,000 collateral consequences that make it incredibly difficult to rebuild their lives. We deserve the opportunity to live without the shadows of these consequences hanging over us.

We should aim to prevent others from experiencing what it feels like to live in this world without constitutional rights and liberties. These include the ability to vote, rent a home, buy a property, obtain life insurance, acquire liability insurance for self-employment, access to certain jobs, access to certain college degrees, and be approved for a loan or a credit card. Additionally, while on supervision, one may be subjected to searches of one's residence, property, computers, cell phones, or electronic devices.

When we engage in political conversations, let’s strive to be curious and empathetic. Remember that every individual has the potential for change and growth. By fostering compassionate dialogue, we can work together to advocate for a system that allows everyone to have a voice, regardless of their past.

A Call to Action

I urge you to reflect on the power of your words. Let’s move beyond labels like “felon” and embrace words that humanize and uplift. Together, we can challenge the injustices within our system and push for a future where everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in our democracy and in our community.

In the end, it’s about more than politics and fear-based narratives. It’s about humanity.

During this election, we all witnessed a palpable political polarization that has reached a fever pitch and continues to widen each election cycle. And we, for one, are sick of it.

Americans are being falsely presented with a made-up choice – either to care about social justice issues and marginalized communities or about "kitchen table" issues like healthcare, wages, and affordable living.

Many of us are tired of fighting for a system that seems to make us choose between the issues we care about and our ability to keep a roof over our heads, groceries in our refrigerators, and the lights on in our homes.

And when political losses lead to the real threat of losing your rights, livelihood, and access to healthcare, it’s impossible not to take the results personally. A lot of us, particularly people of color, women, immigrants, and people from the LGBTQ community, are tired of fighting for a system that doesn’t take us into account. A system that constantly places our civil rights and liberties as a bargaining chip that could be forfeited to create an allegedly “stable” economy.

But the fundamental contradiction is not between you and your neighbor – it’s between you and the political elite who manufacture these divisions to distract from their hoarding of wealth and power. Politicians, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans distract the American people with identity-based wedge issues, hoping we overlook the glaring material divide between the 99% and the 1%.

Consider this: Vice President Harris and Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance are millionaires, and President-Elect Trump is a billionaire. These politicians, their wealthy donors, and their candidates have excellent healthcare, good schools for their children, access to high-quality food, and secure housing. Their livelihoods are not in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, the policies they enact – or fail to enact – directly affect our daily lives. Neither party has made meaningful efforts to offer free healthcare, address corporate monopolies driving up housing costs, or challenge the fact that the top 1% own nearly a third of all wealth in America.

They want us to ask, “Why is the government funding gender-affirming care for trans people?” instead of, “Why isn’t the government funding healthcare for everyone, while insurance companies profit from our suffering?”

They want you to ask, “Should the government house poor families?” instead of, “Why do 1% of landlords own nearly half of the rental units in cities like Milwaukee, driving up costs for everyone?”

They want you to believe that helping immigrants or supporting unhoused individuals somehow takes away from you when, in reality, the real culprit is a system that prioritizes corporate profits over human dignity.

But we can have it all and should expect more from our country’s leaders.

The truth is raising everyone's material conditions – regardless of their identity – is the best way to care for marginalized communities and rural working-class communities alike. Whether you live in a small Appalachian town or a bustling urban neighborhood, universal programs like healthcare, affordable housing, high-speed broadband, and robust public infrastructure benefit all Americans.

Public investment in education, transportation, and services paid for with tax dollars would benefit everyone, fostering a society where everyone’s basic needs are met.

Everyone deserves to have their rights respected and their civil rights and liberties honored. 

Everyone also deserves to be able to work and make enough money to support their families without fearing that they are one paycheck away from being homeless. 

Everyone deserves grocery prices that are not bloated to make large monopolies MORE money. 

Everyone deserves to have affordable housing that out-of-control, out-of-state, and sometimes, out-of-country investors do not control. 

Everyone deserves to love, marry who they choose, and be who they are.

Everyone deserves the right to make decisions about their bodies.

All of these things are not at odds with one another, and we must stop letting the political elite pit us against each other. Instead, we must demand that our government work for us, using our tax dollars to create a society where everyone has the resources to thrive. The question isn’t “What do they get that I don’t?” It’s “Why don’t we all have what we need?”

The shared experience of the American working class transcends race, gender, sexuality, and religion.

Political parties have become a win-lose game where the only winners are politicians with selfish interests. The American people have become second thoughts, the ultimate losers in this tiresome game in which our rights and livelihoods are on the line.

But how do we keep fighting back when things feel so dark and we have so little left to give?

I think of protagonists in novels who are backed against the wall with no hopes of triumph, no options to fight back, nothing left, no solutions. They are in an unwinnable battle, yet somehow, they find that little bit of strength to pull it together and fight back.

We have to expect more, not just for ourselves but for others, too. We must fight for everyone’s rights as hard as we fight for our own. We need to unite and hold all of our politicians, regardless of their party, responsible when they don’t do what is best for the people in this country. If we do that, we have a fighting chance at a country truly for the people.