Welp. It's about fifteen minutes to midnight. I'm tired. I have a headache. I've been talking a lot with my wife about what we want to do with our lives. And I'm anxious.
There's a presidential election happening in my country on Tuesday, November 8th, that could change everything. For one nominee, it's maintaining the slow but steady progress we've been making since 2008. For another, it's total incompetent chaos. Yes, I'm scared. No, I'm not ashamed to admit that. It's affected my work, my social life, my attention span, everything. And the campaign's almost over, but my God, what a toll it's taken on the nation I live, and you bet it could get only worse if the results don't go the way they should.
I really, really wanted to take a lot more time tonight to argue why you should vote a certain way. Why getting involved in politics matters and why, as a teacher, I can easily encourage you to take a stand for the greater good of minority groups and people like me who fear that our rights will be stripped from us if the wrong person becomes president.
But I'm not going to take a lot of time doing that. I'm too tired for that. Too drained. I know that this introspection may seem half-assed, given the crucial nature of this election. But what I do end up typing will come from the heart, even if it's only partially baked in the brain given my physical and emotional well-being at this point in that.
All I ask is, no matter what, you participate. You vote.
Don't stand on the sidelines. There is too much at stake. The economy, our safety, and our preservation as a democratic nation. The well-being of African-Americans, Latinos, women, and the LGBTQ+ community is in your hands.I don't have to be blatant about who I'm voting for; that's not the point. The point is that you have a voice.
This election is neck-and-neck. And it shouldn't be. One candidate is overwhelmingly more qualified than the other. The other candidate threatens my livelihood and the livelihoods of other Americans. My country's standing in the world could be destroyed. It is a close election, and if you don't vote, we will wind up with a grossly incompetent, misogynistic, proto-fascist, vindictive blowhard as our leader.
If you're registered to vote, please vote. Go to your local elections office. Vote early if you can. But do not sit this out. I am not exaggerating when I say that this election is the most important one we've had in decades.
If you're not an American, please keep your fingers crossed for us. If all goes well, great. If not, God help us all.