We hold these truths…

Here we are, only 4 days from the 2020 presidential election and a possible second term for a man who lacks so many of the things I value. Donald Trump has been president of the United States of America for 1,378 days. In my opinion (and this is my blog so you get my opinion), that is 1,378 days too many. There is a prior post that I wrote shortly after the 2016 election and subsequent inauguration. I was heartbroken. Were the last 1,378 days as bad as I feared? Yes and no, I can admit that. Does that make me feel better that they haven’t been “as bad” as I feared? No. Have I gained any respect for Trump? No, in fact, I’ve lost even more (if that is possible).

Prior to this election, I would arrive to the polls at some convenient-to-my-schedule time on election day and complete my civic duty. For the 2020 election, and with proper acknowledgement for the global pandemic we remain in with COVID-19, I requested a mail-in ballot months ago. When it arrived, I didn’t open it. I didn’t complete it. I didn’t mail it back in. There was too much news, hoopla, and uncertainty. I needed to KNOW, with certainty, that my vote would count.

This past Tuesday, one week prior to Election Day and the day after the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett as an associate justice to the U.S. Supreme Court (another questionable action and individual I don’t support; #RIP-RBG), I carried the unopened mail-in ballot to our local early voting site. I turned it in, it was voided, and I was handed a fresh ballot.

I voted… for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Not shocking, I know. I voted because I want my vote to count and I don’t trust our democracy, nor its systems, at this time.

IT FELT GOOD! IT FELT IMPORTANT. It was validating to mark the boxes, feed the ballot into the machine, and claim my sticker. For many, at this stage, their job is done. But not for me, not yet.

I want to document my 2020 vote. I need my daughters, who have no vote right now, to understand the importance of this election. To know, unequivocally, that I was on what I believe to be the right– or, perhaps, actually LEFT– side of history. I want them to know that I voted for them, and for their futures.

I voted so they…

• …can resume school and activities safely without fear of COVID-19.
• …have the best public education possible.
• …know a woman’s body is her own, and that she alone decides what happens to it.
• …have a stable economy and future job opportunities.
• …can love and, if they so desire, marry whomever they want.
• …might never again hear about, much less experience, another school shooting.
• …can trust, rather than fear, police officers.
• …can expect equal pay.
• …don’t have to be a victim of sexual harassment or assault; and, that if (heaven forbid) they are, they will be heard and believed, not blamed.
• …know their mental health is as important as their physical health.
• …don’t fear nuclear warfare.
• …can have clean air, drinkable water, and a planet they can enjoy for decades to come.

I want these things for my daughters… for your children… for everyone.

My daughters are beyond privileged (as am I) and there are many things they simply don’t, and won’t, have to worry about in life. In these cases, I voted as if my daughters weren’t privileged. I voted with care and compassion so that their (our) friends, teachers, colleagues, neighbors, teammates, coaches, mentors, peers, extended family, loved ones, mere acquaintances, and even strangers might live in a country…

• …NOT defined by whiteness.
• …where going to college is not a financial burden, and where college graduates aren’t riddled with school loans and education debt.
• …where access to healthcare and medicine are available and affordable to everyone, even to those with pre-existing conditions.
• …where opportunity isn’t limited by class, race, or geography.
• …where all religions, and non-believers, are respected.
• …that welcomes asylum-seekers and immigrants; one that supports DACA and cares for DREAMers.
• …where the “self-evident” truths of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” be truly self-evident and applicable to all citizens.
• …whose promises of “liberty and justice for all” really means FOR ALL.

Many people cast their vote for a candidate based on the candidate’s stance on a particular issue… one singular thing of critical importance to the voter. This is true on both sides of the political spectrum. It is why (though I don’t agree) I can try to understand the logic of many Trump supporters.

For me, however, there isn’t just one issue. There are many. And they aren’t equal, they’re weighted. Our country is complex. Its history and foundation are problematic. Our systems and structures remain oppressive.

There are ideals I wish to espouse and uphold… ideals I hope to demonstrate in my life AND support with my vote. So I voted… for integrity, equity, justice, empathy, science, fairness, love, hope, generosity, and kindness.

I voted for my daughters.

I voted for the future. Mine. Yours. Theirs.

OURS.