One of the many memorable speeches at the Democratic National Convention was delivered by Michelle Obama. She spoke of hope making a comeback and the potential for good in our country. Ms. Obama also cautioned there are people who will do everything in their power to distort Kamala Harris’ qualifications and intentions in the days leading up to the election.

She said, “This is going to be an uphill battle. So, folks, we cannot be our own worst enemy. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.”

Ms. Obama also conveyed that we don’t have time for the foolishness of waiting for instructions to do something to ensure that Harris wins. She told listeners to “marry our hope with our actions” as participants; in other words, each of us has a profound responsibility in our democracy.

The far right is not as divisive as progressive and left contingents with the Goldilocks gamble. In 2016, Bernie Sanders and his Bernie bros did not help Hillary Clinton in large numbers the way Clinton helped Barack Obama in 2008. While many factors led to her loss, I will not forget how reluctant too many people on the left were about electing a woman with a combination of feminist and centrist values.

Apparently they forgot that Hillary Clinton was advocating for universal health care in the 1990s and suffered a backlash while laying a foundation for components that would eventually comprise the Affordable Care Act. And now she has laid a path for Harris in her bid for the presidency. True leadership transcends personal success and failures.

The harmful and despicable lie about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio is an indirect way to attack the Black female candidate. It is intended to generate fear. Committed racists will not distinguish between Haitians and Black Americans of all kinds. This work-around racist attack is a desperate attempt to inspire the bigoted base while the real-life consequences are severe for a city and demographic at risk.

What kind of monsters flippantly cause trauma to people who have survived violence and chaos and had to leave their homeland in order to live? How can anyone be on the fence about who to vote for at this point? Add to that wild levels of incompetence, narcissism and an expressed desire to destroy our democracy — well, anyone who votes for the person who impersonated a president is responsible for the disaster that will ensue.

When I hear that fence sitters are still wanting to know more about Harris before deciding, I could scream. She has a clear trajectory of public service. Read about it. Meanwhile, everyone knows enough about the other candidate to know he will destroy anyone in his way. Serving the public or his own country does not occur to him.

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Vice President Harris does not have to check all of my boxes for me to be all in. Look at the array of Republicans who have come out for her. They are putting the country first. I am heartened when people from all backgrounds remove themselves from groupthink to do what is right at a moment that absolutely requires it. While the Teamsters president would not commit the larger organization to endorse Harris, local and regional Teamsters around the country are coming out in droves to offer their support in defiance of the organization.

Emgage Action, the largest Muslim American voter mobilization group, has endorsed Harris. Their CEO Wa’el Alzayat said, “While we do not agree with all of Harris’ policies, particularly on the war on Gaza, we are approaching this election with both pragmatism and conviction.” He expressed hope that Harris is open to issues and that it is unthinkable to return an Islamophobic person who attempted a “Muslim ban” to the White House. Emgage Action is not taking the Goldilocks gamble.

Which side are you on? The side of the principled public servant or the dangerous demagogue? Do you vote for a leader who understands the profound responsibility as commander in chief or the sociopath who thinks service members and veterans are suckers and losers?

The Goldilocks bunch insisting on perfection will not find it in anyone. If progressives vote for Jill Stein or do not vote at all, I have to wonder why it was easier to mark the Joe Biden box in 2020 than it is to vote for a future-oriented candidate who implicitly represents the tapestry of diversity that comprises the United States.

As Michelle Obama reminded us, we are each responsible for our democracy. Defy racist and sexist double standards and vote for Kamala Harris.

J.M. Sorrell is a feminist at her core. She is also a Trekkie who is joining the Women of Star Trek for Kamala Zoom event on Oct. 3. Resistance is futile.