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Empire Strikes Back Isn’t the End of the Series
This Just In: Last week sucked, but there is always hope.
When Luke Skywalker fired the ion torpedoes that blew up the Death Star in the first Star Wars, theatergoers didn’t know that was only the beginning of the story. In hindsight, we know that the Empire would strike back, building an even bigger Death Star and continuing to terrorize the galaxy.
Empire Strikes Back was bleak. Despite an early win, the Rebellion knew what they were up against. The fight to overturn tyranny and free the galaxy wouldn’t be easy. It would require some to learn new skills, give up allegiances, and stand for justice.
The Rebellion was built on hope, a hope that all sentient beings in the galaxy would have peace and freedom from oppression. This hope fueled the Skywalker Saga and continues to power Star Wars stories today.
Yet, here in the real world, hope can often be difficult to find.
Last week’s election was brutal. There will be countless think-pieces about what went wrong, but this isn’t one of them. Frankly, I chalk the loss up to apathy. Over 20 million fewer people voted in 2024 than in 2020. But, again, I’m not here to look back. Instead, I want to look forward.