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| Progress doesn't happen overnight. Let's give Obama an opportunity to finish the good work he's started. (Original artwork by Shepard Fairey with added Photoshop by Yours Truly) |
Every four years we do this powerful thing. For some of us it's a quiet and understated affair. For others it's loud and quite frankly, annoying (ex: Facebook + espousing political doctrine = fast way to lose friends).
Tomorrow, the American people will vote to give President Obama another four years or give Mitt Romney the opportunity to be #45. I don't know about you, but for me the tension is palpable. This race is so close that at times my stomach is in knots. I just pray there is a clear winner tomorrow and we don't revisit the "hanging chad" fiasco from the 2000 elections (Bush v. Gore, anyone?).
As I was driving my daughter to grandma's this morning, I caught a glimpse of her in my rearview mirror. She was admiring the mountains outside, the strong California sunshine framing her beautiful, innocent face. In that moment, I flashed forward 20 years. What kind of world do I want my daughter to thrive in? She'll be a young woman of 22, probably looking for her first job out of college, pursuing her dreams, putting her passions into action, traveling the world... I want her to think anything is possible, just as I did when I was 22.
Putting yourself out there during a presidential election is very much like exposing your spiritual beliefs (there's a reason why people say you should never discuss politics or religion at a dinner party -- food is bound to end up on the wall or on someone's face). Your support (or vehement opposition) of Obama or Romney will put you in a box, whether you like it or not. You will be summarized in a few words. Progressive. Backwards. Open-minded. Myopic. Conservative. Bleeding-heart. Fundamentalist. Socialist. Pro-big government. Pro-choice. Pro-life. Pro-gun control. Anti-war. Anti-immigration. Your politics inform how you view society, how you look at the world, and how you define words like liberty, responsibility and opportunity.
I've hesitated using Facebook or my blog to write about my political beliefs. I just can't stand the divisiveness and I hate the thought of people categorizing me. But I also don't want to be silent about something or someone I very much believe in. If anything, I want my children to know who I stood by and why I did.
Four years ago, Barack Obama promised to bring change to a country that desperately needed it. I voted for him back then because I believed he was the best person to lead that charge. I'm voting for him again because I believe we need to give him an opportunity to finish the good work he started. I'm not going to list his accomplishments and sound like a political ad (I respect the fact you've done your research, too). It simply comes down to this: I want to move forward.
Tomorrow, let's make that happen.
