I’d like to start by saying, I’m not particularly concerned with who your candidate is.
Ideological differences and nuance aside (just for the moment), any Democratic candidate is better than the current alternative. Full stop.
I’m also not here to convince you to support my candidate. At this point you, I, my grandmother, and thousands of voters have already made up their minds — many more have already cast their ballots in the Democratic primary.
But you should vote in the upcoming primary anyway.
Some people are voting on their perceived viability of one candidate over another. Some vote for who they think is most likely to win the general while others are voting for “anyone but — .”
I’m not worried about these people.
I’m worried about those who aren’t going to vote. Those who don’t think that their vote matters because “the system is broken”, “the establishment is rigged”, “it doesn’t matter, he is just going to win anyway.” I’d like to challenge you to a little bit of discomfort, even if that’s limited to the 20 minutes you’ll spend at your polling place filling out your ballot.
We owe it to each other.
We owe our votes to our country’s founders who fought for the most basic (and flawed) sense of democracy.
We owe our votes to those who are incarcerated unjustly and unable to cast votes for prison reform.
We owe our votes to teachers who are on the frontlines at the intersection of so many social, economic, and cultural issues.
We owe our votes, 100 years later, to suffragettes who secured voting rights for women.
We owe our votes to everybody who lost their right to vote for generations on account of being constitutionally considered three-fifths of a person.
Whether it’s a presidential contest, a party primary, or a municipal election. “decisions are made by the people who show up.” We owe it to ourselves, our country, and each other to be there.
I can never decide if I’ve fulfilled my ancestors’ greatest dreams or if they’re all rolling in their graves.
When folks talk about “liberal coastal elites” that’s 100% this kid. I’m a tech worker living in San Francisco — on a daily basis I’m benefiting from the lack of affordable housing, the exploitation of undocumented workers, and the absence of regulation in the tech industry.
As a white woman, I also benefit greatly from the very systems that I vocally am against. If I call the police, odds are that my report will be taken seriously. If I go to the doctor, they are likely to believe my self reported level of pain. It was never a question of if I would go to college, just where and what would I study. I don’t really worry about money, and I know that in the worst possible case scenario I have a family who could help me get back on my feet in case of a crisis.
I certainly worked to get here. But not that hard. Not for that long.
Not when compared to those who’ve died crossing borders, or who are working four jobs, or dying while waiting for an insulin refill. Not when compared to the barely two generations that separate me from abject poverty. I’ve never had to choose between electricity, groceries, or the medication I need.
Because of this, I vote based on who I think is going to give more people a fair shot. I want that person to win even if it means that things get a little bit “harder” for me (they won’t).
If giving healthcare to thousands of children, people with disabilities, those with chronic conditions, means that I have to wait a little bit longer as a healthy person to get my annual physical — I’m okay with that.
If disrupting the technology companies that have a terrifying monopoly on our consumer habits and personal data means that I’m out of a job — I’m okay with that.
Maybe more open borders will prove the fear mongers right and a few criminals will make their way in. But if it’s a few compared against the thousands of people who are suffering, who are desperate, who are willing to risk their lives in the hope that one of their children or maybe their children’s children will have a shot at a better education, better quality of life, or simply safety in a needlessly cruel world — I’m okay with that.
If I can’t get a plastic bag without paying a fee because my city is taking a stand to help ensure that my kids still have a planet to call home once I’m the one in the compost bin — I’m okay with that.
Maybe you disagree. Don’t tell me about it. Go vote about it.
Go vote for someone who makes you hopeful. Vote for someone who makes you believe that we can do better by one another and not just do better by and for ourselves.
If you’ve made it this far, for what it’s worth, I’ll be casting my vote for Elizabeth Warren.
I know she has a plan for this.
