Life in the swingiest state

With Wisconsin’s many assets comes the responsibility to use them well.

Swimming lessons are a rite of passage here, not necessarily so our children will compete, but so they’ll live. With so many gorgeous lakes and rivers, we want to know our kids won’t drowned when they head Up North for the weekend.

We get to enjoy four seasons here, so we stock our garages with implements to keep our yards tidy and our sidewalks safe — lawn mowers, snow shovels and rakes.

We want to be good neighbors.

We also have the privilege of knowing our vote matters. We’ve known this for a long time, even before Forward became our state motto in 1851. It has become increasingly evident in recent years.

Tomorrow, we’ll vote in a statewide election with such national implications that billionaires from each side of the aisle have come calling.

They’ve all tried to distract us with their ubiquitous texts, fake newspapers and deceptive ads.

But we already know what’s at stake here, and we’re going to vote accordingly.

When you live in a swing state, you have to make your selections even more carefully because the implications of those choices can ripple out like a tsunami. You have to research the candidates and the referendums thoroughly. You have to engage in difficult conversations with people who don’t share your views.

It’s incumbent on all of us to understand why our friends and family vote the way they do, to listen to their concerns and share ours. These conversations are both the privilege and the obligation of a democracy.

If you can’t defend your choices in a civil conversation, it might be time to revisit them.

I know exactly how I’m going to vote tomorrow because I’ve given it a lot of thought. I believe in American values and the kind of diversity that built this country, the freedom of expression that sustains it, universal strength that’s rooted in kindness, sound economic policy that doesn’t fluctuate on a whim, and religious freedom.

I’m looking forward to casting my ballot.

I hope we have record-setting turnout.

Let’s go, Wisconsin.

Forward!