How Trump Turned Me into a Voter For Life
Voting has become not only an expression but a duty
I have always hated politics. When I became eligible to vote before the 2012 presidential election, I had no intention of voting in it. In fact, I did not even know who was even running against Barack Obama.
I consistently made the excuse that since I do not know enough about the candidates that I shouldn’t vote. On the upside, at least I recognized one problem — I couldn’t make an informed vote. However, my response instead should have been to inform myself.
The first time I voted in an election was the 2018 midterm elections. I registered to vote in 2016, but never actually requested an absentee ballot (I was in graduate school out of state). However, after two years of a Trump presidency, I realized how wrong I was.
My Livelihood Was Threatened
Choosing not to vote is an act of privilege in that you do not believe that decisions made by politicians will affect your life. In the debates over the tax bill in 2017, this belief was shattered for me.
I was a graduate student at the time. In science, many graduate students are paid a stipend and given tuition remission, which means they do not have to pay for tuition. This is done in return for…
