Wake up, take my medicine, workout, complete errands around my apartment, work for tips at a chain restaurant, eat food, watch YouTube videos, play video games, and go to sleep.

This is my usual routine for a day, minus smaller details like the countless Uber/Lyft orders I make to travel and the types of videos I watch. Besides social interactions with friends, the main break I get from this routine is being notified, with timely discussions, of political information like RFK Jr. advising not getting not getting medical advice from him or a member of Congress supporting the violation of due process.

The common break from my routine came from my childhood. My mom would constantly have CNN playing in the background and I would see Fox News while out in public. But as I unfortunately aged, I started to realize I didn’t have the privilege to look away from politics.

You feel required to watch John McCain vote no on repealing the affordable care act when you are one of the 28 million people in the US with asthma, which is a pre-existing condition. You have a high interest to see police practices change when you have your bag of groceries aggressively searched because you vaguely matched the description of a suspect. You get agitated when you see prices everywhere continue to rise yet not enough lawmakers have decided our wages should too (although the pay in my line of work changes on a daily basis).

These experiences influenced me to be a more active participant in politics. Instead of simply listening to news commentators while I’m getting groceries, I’m also seeing how specific pieces of legislation will have a direct impact on my life. Instead of only voting in presidential elections every four years, I cast a ballot whenever an election is taking place, including primary elections. Instead of simply hoping a candidate would win or a piece of legislation succeeded, I would contribute what I can to a campaign and voice support for a bill.

This led me to volunteering what free time I had with MADVoters, a group of Hoosiers advocating for an Indiana that’s more equitable by informing residents on elections and the legislative process. My responsibilities consist of helping make graphics and videos.

After reading countless bills and coming across quotes from legislators and community members, I have realized a fact many are unaware of and/or seem to ignore: The messaging from politicians is not always grounded in reality.

While both major parties have faults, the Republican party, specifically those in Indiana, are more inclined to do the opposite of what they say.

Republicans will say they want to “protect the children” in public, but then vote to roll back child labor laws, vote to defund public schools by divesting funds to private schools, and oppose bands on invasive physical examinations of children. Legislators representing their party will urge support for “the sanctity of life,” yet will enable lives to be shortened by having little to no regulation on firearms, or ignore those lives lost from having restrictive laws around reproductive care, like Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski. The Senator-turned Governor will mention “fiscal responsibility,” then go after people who rely on SNAP benefits while his colleagues drive around in luxury vehicles paid with taxpayer money.

If the point isn’t clear enough, Republicans say what you want to hear, then vote to worsen your life as well as those you care for.

The actions of Indiana Democrats, on the other hand, are more in line with their messaging. They say they support voting rights, then back that up with bills for having non partisan election maps and allowing ballot initiatives and referendums. Their legislators say they support public education, so they introduced bills to increase the salaries of teachers and hold private schools accountable for their spending. Party members will stress the urge for better access to healthcare, so they write legislation to create programs aimed at reducing maternal mortality.

Unfortunately, Democrats are the minority party, even worse the super minority party. This means any piece of legislation, like the ones just mentioned, must be considered by Republicans to have a hearing. As a result, most of those bills will not have discussions, much less a vote, about becoming law.

So what should we do? That’s kind of complicated, as the state session is inactive until January of next year and Congress is being… well Congress.

That said, I do have some words of advice, first of which would be to look at the actions, not just the words, of politicians. Do they mean what they say, or do they simply use the words they think will help them keep their salary?

Secondly, try your best to stay informed. I know it’s easier to tune out political news and only focus on your day-to-day activities. But the less people know what’s going on, the easier it is for situations you go from bad to worse to dire.

Third piece of advice: get active. While the Indiana General Assembly is on break until January, that doesn’t mean you can’t contact your legislators about your opposition. Maybe you’re a parent of a student in Union School Corporation and want to know State Senator Scott Alexander’s support to dissolve the district. Also, look ahead to the elections taking place in 2026. There’s a high likelihood that candidates need help to defeat incumbents and amplify their message.

Finally, and definitely not least, be patient. I know I will not be waking up the next day, week, month, and year to all the issues affecting the state being resolved. For all we know, it may take us a few years to even address one issue. But if we continue to stay motivated for the long game of a brighter Indiana, I do believe we’ll see it at some point.