On Tuesday, Nov. 8 (not Nov. 28, according to Donald Trump) is a day that will affect the rest of your life. Don't give up on equality, justice, on the power and beauty of diversity. Don't give up on raising your voice at the ballot box.
I know that Bernie didn’t win, I wanted him to. We all wanted him to. But we have the chance to change society in a way that is just as impactful. We have the chance to put someone in power who is an intelligent leader, who has shown us her capability of being in a governmental position time and time again. A female who has been in male-dominated politics for around 40 years, a mother, a grandmother, a protector of our rights.
You have been told to vote by countless celebrities, been reminded by your parents and friends, and hopefully, you have remembered to fill out your absentee ballot. If you have not, drive home and go to your polling station.
Voting is a privilege. It is a chance for your voice to be heard. It is a right that generations of Americans have struggled to win and that people in other countries are still fighting for. It is your voice, it is a collective effort to change society that will directly impact your own life and the lives of those you care for. It is not just an election, it's a chance for you to take an active stand in protecting the country from fear and ignorance, from misogyny and racism.
The choices are not favorable, but do you pick someone who is under federal investigation for using a private email server but who understands the virtue of accountability? Or do you pick a racist, abusive bigot who could permanently damage the structure of our society and who denies every single claim made against him? It's so even, the choice is really so even.
No presidential candidate has ever been perfect. A real Leslie Knope does not exist, although we wish that she did. Leslie did look up to Hillary for a reason, though. Forty years in politics fighting for the best interest of the entire country, she is highly qualified and her proposed policies are precisely what the country needs. She knows that diversity is what our country thrives upon.
She is one of the strongest people that I have ever seen, and as Louis C.K. put it:
“Hillary Clinton can take abuse. We’ve been holding her down and spitting in her mouth and yelling at her and she just gets up and goes ‘Well if I just think that children have proper healthcare and education’. She just keeps working.”
It is not just the president on the ballot, voting for your party is important in controlling either the Senate or the House, because how much the next president can do depends on the size of the parties’ majorities. You are voting for common sense gun laws, laws on abortion, health care, education, discrimination, laws that will affect your life in every way. A higher turnout makes our democracy more representative of the American public.
If we can change history by electing the incredible Barack Obama, then we can change history by electing the equally incredible Hillary Clinton.
