Before Donald Trump got elected, I hadn’t voted in 20 years — a complacent constituent in a solidly Democratic state.

The 2016 election dashed the notion that America is constantly progressing in favor of greater inclusion and equality. This propelled me to seek like-minded individuals to form a local chapter of Indivisible.

We organized protests, visited our congressional delegation, and, most recently, traveled to Montana to work on Jon Tester’s U.S. Senate campaign.

This has afforded me the opportunity to meet members of our community I otherwise never would have met, including retirees and students.

Living here offers us the luxury to feel insulated from the division, discord and violence in the rest of the country.

Needless to say, this is an illusion, as Hawaii’s destiny is inextricably linked to the mainland and rest of the world.

Therefore, I encourage more people to get involved locally to shape the future of our country to reflect the values of the Aloha State.

Andrew Daisuke Stewart

Ala Moana

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