Alyssa Milano, 45, may have started acting at the age of seven, but now she’s equally famous for her career as an activist, and right now she’s been obsessed with getting YOU to vote in the 2018 midterms. No doubt, she’s even more energized, if that’s possible, now that Justice Anthony Kennedy has announced that he’s retiring from the Supreme Court, giving Donald Trump the opportunity to appoint an extremely right-wing conservative new justice, who will serve for the rest of their lives. That means Americans could very seriously be faced with losing the right to an abortion, could face a rollback in gay and minority rights, affirmative action, environmental protections, sexual harassment protection and Donald Trump could finally have his opportunity to have Obamacare declared unconstitutional. In other words, millions would lose their entire access to affordable healthcare, in the very near future.
For all of these reasons, Milano has thrown herself into working for Democratic candidates in recent special elections and now she tells Hollywoodlife.com why it’s so important for young women to get active in the 2018 midterms. “Everybody needs to get super super involved,” she explained while at a UNICEF USA event. “My favorite thing about politics is at the local level. I go all over the country and I will volunteer in campaigns I believe in and I suggest that everybody finds a candidate that you believe in and go campaign. Go volunteer and walk door to door. That is the greatest reminder of what politics is. It’s not this big thing where we feel that we don’t have control over it. It’s really at the state level that’s so important. I mean, I have been in people’s garages with American flags Scotch-taped to the wall where I am stuffing envelopes and, to me, that is the most romantic thing about this country is that it functions like that, so I want everyone to have that experience. Everyone should go out and volunteer.”
And of course, she wants everyone to vote. Just a quick look at Milano’s Twitter feed gives you a very clear view of her commitment to making the country a better place, especially for women, children and minorities. She has testified in front of Congress in support of the Equal Rights Act, which would be an amendment to the US Constitution stating that civil rights can’t be denied on the basis of sex. She has been vehemently protesting Donald Trump’s cruel policy of separating migrant children from their parents at the southern border, she has been lobbying for sensible gun laws to help prevent school massacres and she wrote that “Health Care Will Decide My Vote” in 2018 in Time magazine. “Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress are a direct threat to Americans’ access to quality, affordable healthcare. […] They have made it clear that they will stop at nothing to rip healthcare away from those who need it most,” she penned.
So will Milano run for Congress or even the White House, Hollywoodlife.com asked her. “It’s something that I would consider once my children are a little older. They are six and three right now and they need a mommy more than a representative. But there’s definitely a chance! For sure! But later!”
We can only hope.
In the meantime, follow Alyssa’s example and volunteer for a political candidate who represents your values, for Congress, or for your state in the Nov midterm elections. And make sure, no matter what, that you VOTE! If you haven’t registered yet, you can do it right here on Hollywoodlife.com on our Rock the Vote module embedded below.
Alyssa Milano has tweeted that staying home and watching Netflix instead of voting on Election Day has huge consequences. “Remember presidents shape future generations by these appointees.” She’s so right. She added, “Nightmare scenario: Trump names Sessions to the vacancy [on the Supreme Court] and appoints some new fascist to the vacant AG post.”
That’s right. It could happen. So take her advice: work for candidates who represent you, register to vote and then vote on Nov 6!