Let Talk About…Why Your Vote Matters.

The road ahead may be long and difficult, but together, we can accomplish anything.

I know you are probably sick of talking about politics and the election at this point, but this may be one of the most important elections in American history.

Next week, we decide where we go as a country. Some of you may be disappointed by our choices. Some may be so tired of the bullshit system that you don’t vote out of spite and trust me I get it. But this is not the year to protest by not voting.

When we look back at history, plagues and pandemics are nothing new, its just something Americans haven’t had to deal with in centuries.

We have become immune to the fact that we aren’t just born immune to diseases because we are American.

By the time I am writing this many Americans will have already participated in our democracy by either mailing in their ballot or by voting early. The fact that in-person early voting turnout is the highest its ever been in addition to the highest number of mail-in ballots should be a huge sign that your vote matters and that this election matters.

If you are questioning whether or not you are going to vote, these may be some of the thoughts running through your mind right now:

• My one vote doesn’t matter. This is something I waThere are more of us than there are of them. Politicians are supposed to represent us, right? So why is it that big corporations and businesses can just get away without paying their share of taxes? Why is it that a corporation can just pay a politician to vote in favor of policies that help their business? Why do money and outside influence from businesses and lobbyists have a place in our government? (Fun fact, many civilized nations do not allow businesses to fund campaigns. Many have national holidays when they vote. If we are so deeply based on personal freedoms then why do they make it hard for us to vote? Why make it so a person has to choose between food on the table and exercising their right to vote? Hint: because they don’t want you voting)
• The two-party system is a broken one. We know this. But now is not the time to push that. Right now it’s down to Donald Trump and former-Vice President Joe Biden. Our choices couldn’t be any different, but they are what we have to work with. One has let over 200,000 Americans die under his watch thanks to his deep belief that everything he hears is true. The other has his faults, but he has been fighting the good fight for many years. If you are asking yourself if he didn’t get it done then what makes you think he will now, I’d like to remind everyone that a single senator only holds so much power against the might of Congress. And to be fair, Joe Biden helped push Obamacare, and thanks to that single law I am alive and sober today.
• You can’t take off work, you are worried about Miss COVID, or you simply just don’t like either candidate. All of these are valid, and I’m not calling them excuses but they are. If you can’t take off work, there is early-voting in almost every state and most polling locations are open late so you can go after or before work. In terms of COVID, trust me, I get this one big time, however, I am flying across the country to make sure my vote is counted, in person. I have all the PPE you could ask for and to me, this election is that important. The fate of our country, my home, is that important. So yes I will wear a mask, gloves, use a ton of hand sanitizer, and travel 3,000 miles in order to cast my vote.
• You don’t care for either candidate, but you also aren’t happy with how things are. This is probably the most relatable item on this list. Many people were hoping for Bernie Sanders to pull through this election as the Democrat candidate, but that ship sailed shortly before the primaries. So here we are with Cool Uncle Joe, who yes is older than ever, but Joe Biden has 2 things Donald Trump doesn’t. Biden has support from both sides of the political spectrum and is center-left on many issues, but center overall. Secondly, Joe has a heart. In the second and last debate, Joe showed just how much of a human he is, something that both Trump and Clinton lack. I can promise you, Joe Biden does give a shit about the Americans dying from COVID, the businesses closing, the people losing their homes. He cares and will show that with action. Not with a 1-time bonus basically for fucking up and not containing this thing when we had the chance.

In conclusion, the fact that we get to openly vote for the people who run our country is a blessing. There are still countries around the world that don’t participate in the same type of democracy. Our vote is our voice, and our voice matters. It always has and always will. When we are sick and tired of being sick and tired we are forced to change. This is America’s changing point and together we decide where we go as a country. Do we go to the moon? Or do we focus on kicking Miss COVID’s ass and sending her back where she belongs, taking care of the planet we have, and fighting for the rights of those whose voice has been silenced?

I personally think the latter sounds a lot better than trying to destroy another planet.