Well, here it is! Election Day: Tuesday, November 8th, 2016; the day that decided who our 45th president of the United States of America will be.

Hearing that, saying that, even typing that sends chills down my spine. My first election where I now can exercise my right to vote--finally.

I never thought I would be this passionate about an election, politics or government. I mean, I have always taken interest in the history of America, but I never really took the time to understand our democratic process. It wasn't until the commencement of the 2016 presidential race that I gained a new understanding of how important it is to be involved in the race as well as voting. After this new found understanding, I started watching all of the debates, rallies, keeping up with Fox and CNN, but also the independent news agencies that looked past the media/political agenda.�

I am lucky-- lucky because I got to examine the presidential race in comparison to how the government works in my American Government course. I am lucky that I had the opportunity to attended a rally where I got to participate in a historical event and get a feel for what it is really like beyond the news channel beyond the media. I am lucky to be a Mass Communications major, where I have been studying media law and ethics and I am lucky that I have the ability to not allow myself to be indoctrinated by the unfair, mainstream media news sources, false ads and propaganda that have been plastered on every news channel, social media platform, and more. Instead, I am able to look beyond the surface and delve deeper into the roots of our American history, politics and its major importance.

A few nights ago, I watched a documentary-film called, Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party. It had reminded me why it is important to care about the political process of our country and why it is important to exercise your vote. It also shined a light on the history of the Democratic Party as well as the Republican party, their roots and how it is very much the same today. This film covered a lot of history that I already knew, but covered more history than the American education system has ever taught me.

For example:

We are currently covering the polarization between the North and the South, during the 1800s. Now everyone knows, or at least has been told throughout their years of education, that the South was racist and everyone in it was a racist. However, my professor tells us that there were 4 million people living in the South. Only 250 rich men owned slaves while the rest of the population was dirt poor. Of course you have to be rich to even vote so the rich people (the 250 slave owners) controlled the votes. Hence the reason slavery lasted so long in the South.

I never knew this detail before. Like I said, I was always under the impression that all of the South owned slaves and that they were all white and rich. But this is false and is only a fraction of the truth. What we have been told since we first started learning about slavery was that the Republicans are the ones to blame for their racism and their evil acts towards African American and their struggle for rights.

What I learned in this documentary, and then further looked into after the film ended, was that it was in fact Democrats who were the 250 slave owners.

And there you have it, folks! The most important detail left out of the picture, and unfortunately, an important detail left out in almost everything we know about the beginnings of American history and its politics.

Although I would love to discuss the documentary further, I find that it is of anyone's best interest to watch it themselves, especially before, if you haven't already, voting. I think there is a lot of information we are deprived of when we are "learning" about our American history. We so easily allow ourselves to believe whatever without fact checking and researching. This election is important because it shows the major difference between people who do care about the political process and will strive to learn everything they can know about politics, presidency, and current events verses those who settle with the NowThis video that bullies Donald Trump based on his complexion, hair and his money.

I truly feel confident in my knowledge of this years election and I am more than excited to cast my vote today. However, I have seen how my fellow millennials and elders allow themselves to scratch the surface of current events and would much rather watch the Kardashians and MTV. They would much rather put feelings before facts and I believe that is where America could go wrong.

Like I said, I have done my own research and I have kept up with almost everything involving this race. How many people nowadays can say the same? Not very many. So, please, because today is Election Day and it is too late to reexamine the whole race I think it is beneficial, to anyone who is undecided, to watch Hillary's America and then to continue to always take the opportunity to learn about our government and politics because a lack of knowledge can truly affect where we take this country.

With that being said, choose your vote wisely!