Last Wednesday, Americans woke up with different emotions. Some of us were angry, heartbroken, and downright scared. On the opposing side, some of us were ecstatic and calm. I, as an American, woke up, acknowledged the election turnout from bed, and got ready for my 10:10 a.m. class. The classmate to my right was so upset about Hillary losing the election that he couldn't even focus, while the classmate to my right admitted that she had voted for Trump and was happy with the turnout. I, however, had not voted, and the only feeling that I was experiencing last Wednesday morning was disappointment.
Yes, 45% of voting-age citizens did not vote, which was one of the highest amounts recorded. Yes, the candidates were both disliked a lot more than normal presidential candidates have been disliked in the past. Yes I didn't develop a strong enough opinion on either candidate, and used that as my excuse to not cast my ballot. However, what I realized on Wednesday morning after the fact was that the excuse that I had created just wasn't good enough.
Living in a country that allows every citizen ages 18 and up to vote is such a privilege. People in other countries would die to have the amount of freedom we Americans do when it comes to choosing their leaders. Taking this truth into consideration, my action of not voting quickly transformed from a meaningless in-the-moment decision to an example of taking the freedom that I have for granted. I didn't even care enough to develop an opinion on the person who would be chosen to lead my country, and I think that was what bothered me the most.
So in my Wednesday morning class, I sat and listened to my classmates passionately express their opinions about the turnout of the election. Yes, I had input, and I certainly had an opinion. But I hadn't turned any of my thoughts into the action of a vote, therefore I felt powerless in the discussion. When I would try to give input to my nearby classmates, I started by saying "I didn't vote, but..." I would immediately feel my classmates faces become uninterested and not focused on what I had to say, and they had every right to do so. I would've done the same thing if I was passionate about a topic and someone who couldn't even turn their thoughts into actions tried to discuss with me.
In the future, I will not ever fail to practice my rights that this country has given to me. If any of you have ever felt genuinely disappointed, I'm sure you can relate to how affected I was by this realization Wednesday morning. If you did vote, I commend you on your citizenship in this country. If you did not vote, I hope this resonates with you, and you choose to do so like me in the future.
