Is it worth it to sign petitions?

Do politicians even listen when we talk? 

Do our voices even matter?

I come across these questions a lot when I talk to people about political action and change. I firmly believe the little things matter and are what make bigger things happen. 

Instead of telling you what to do today, I’m going to relay to you a story about how small things can make big changes. 

I was once an infantryman in the United States Army. Going through basic training was one of the hardest things I ever did. To spare you the details of what happened during that BCT, I’ll just skip to the end, because it’s relevant. 

It was at Fort Benning, in sand hill, 2/54th Infantry battalion, Foxtrot company. We were coming up to a close. Graduation was right around the corner. We were all cleaning our weapons and the barracks. Almost half of the class washed out, and what was left was just us. We were proud of what we did. 

Then our drill sergeants called us in for a formation. There was a meeting being held at the Battalion by the LT Col. and the Sergeant Major. 12 soldiers were being picked to go see them.  3 from each platoon, and I was one of those 12. 

We had no idea what was going on, and we wouldn’t find out till we arrived. We had to wait a little for our meeting to start. While waiting, we looked at some of the history hanging on the walls. Before the Battalion helped with infantry training, it was active during WW1, WW2, and Vietnam. There were lots of pictures, medals, and memorabilia from those times there. 

Then the LT Col came in and we called ourselves to attention. He told us to sit down. When he asked if we knew why we were there, we told him no. The Lt Col and Sergeant Major informed us that we were doing a review of the course, and the Drills picked who they thought were their best trainees to give feedback. 

So we did exactly that. The meeting lasted for several hours. We gave positives, what we thought was lacking, and also gave a few ideas for what we wanted future recruits to go through. 

While the review was mostly positive, at one point, we told our leadership that we wanted a specific training event to happen- something that would help toughen us up a little more, and prepare us better as warfighters. 

I’ll never forget the look on the Lt Col face. 

He winced his one eye and shrugged his shoulder. 

“I hate to tell you guys, but we can’t do that.”

I was a bit surprised, “Why?” I asked “What’s wrong with it?”

“Well you see,” continued the Lt Col, “we used to do that, but we don’t anymore.” 

We all paused for a bit, a little speechless, after a brief moment someone else spoke up “What do you mean, sir?” 

What he said at that point has changed how I view politics.

“Well, a while ago, while we still did that in our training, one recruit didn’t like what he went through. He wrote a bad letter to his mom. His mom called her congressman, and that congressman called TRADOC, who oversees our training- and he had us put a stop to that.” 

My mouth about hit the floor. I was speechless. A friend of mine spoke up in disbelief, “Are you serious?” 

It wasn’t a joke. One guy who came a few years before us, who didn’t want to be there, cried to his mom about something being too hard in Basic Training (I don’t know what he thought he was signing up for). 

That person's mom called one politician, and made enough of a stink to change the training program for tens of thousands, to hundreds of thousands, of future recruits. 

Up to that point, I didn’t even know such a thing was possible. 

I had no idea that the effect between the civilian world and the military was that porous.

I never knew things could change that quickly, and so easily.

No street protests.

No flooding their office with letters. 

No public outcry.

Just one mom and 15 minutes of phone time with a US politician changed the training regimen for the United States Army. 

Needless to say, we were all a little bit pissed that this kid ruined training for the rest of us- and prevented us from doing something we not only wanted to do, but thought would be best for future soldiers. 

But I tell you this story now to share with you something that was painful-

I tell you this story to remind you that your voice matters. 

I tell you this story to inspire you that yes, you can make a difference, and changes can happen. 

Sometimes it literally only takes one person to make big changes for everyone. 

Thanks for your time, and fight the good fight.

Sincerely, 

Leto Xavier