Of course the system is rigged — systems are always rigged to protect the wealth, power, and self-interest of those who created them, those who benefit from them. That’s not hyperbole; that’s reality, that’s human nature, and that’s what the Bible calls sin. Jesus calls us to protect, in particular, "the least of these" who are most vulnerable to the systems' exploitation. This is why defending systems that just maintain the powerful’s own self-interest while neglecting the interests of others, especially the most vulnerable, is not just bad politics — it’s bad theology.

The columnist E.J. Dionne writes:

"A generations-long conservative majority on the court has been cemented in place by a political minority. Kavanaugh was named by a president who won 46 percent of the popular vote and confirmed by senators representing 44 percent of the population. When you lack a majority, controlling the branch of government not subject to the voters is vital to working your will."

We all need to vote on Nov. 6 or before, no matter how much time and effort that takes; get your kids to vote if they are old enough; tell your co-workers and fellow congregants to vote; and even try to find and help people to vote who didn’t in the last election. Vote overwhelmingly for democracy and political accountability in this election year. Vote in the defense and protection of those who are poor and vulnerable — whom the God of the Bible tells us are the test or our politics. And after voting for democracy, commit to a deep and long-term plan to heal it by changing rigged systems and holding them all accountable to the common good of a more multicultural future.

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