On election day, the Odyessey team was challenged to document their experience at the polls. After casting my vote I sprinted to my dorm with a wide smile on my face because for once in my life I felt overwhelmed with confidence. My vote gave me a sense of worth that I have never felt before. With all the love I hold in my heart for my younger sister, the LBGT best friend I grew up with and my African American, Latino and other minority friends I could not stand to vote against them. It took me a few months to realize that I was not just voting for a political party that my family sided with or a president that would make my life easier. It was when I realized that my for vote was a vote to support the people I love. That's when I felt great about my decision.
Instead of debating with the majority on why my choice for a candidate was better than yours, I wanted to share with the world something different. This video holds a powerful message that may be difficult for many of you to see. My spoken word about what it felt like to feels like to vote and feel important in doing so is what our democracy is all about. You see when you have confidence in yourself, in your future president and the social group you stand for mountains can be moved. Voting made me feel empowered. What left me feeling empowered was the vision Hilary held for America. So when news shook the the world that Trump won I, like many others, felt defeated.
The confidence that came with voting for her will not leave me. Many people say that one vote doesn't make a difference. But when your vote means something to you, that's when it does make a difference. After spending months debating about who would be the right choice for America, I filled out my ballot without a doubt in my mind that I had made the right choice.
This video of me ranting about how excited I was to vote for Hilary could be considered lame, embarrassing and politically stupid. Her vision inspires me to fight endlessly for the people I care about endlessly.
Below is the description for the video I wrote immediately after voting. God bless America:
November 8th 2016. The day I made a decision that left me smiling. I've never felt so confident and empowered voting before, esepically because my decision involved voting for a woman. I kind of forgot how big of a deal it would be if a woman became our president. But I also realized how important it was to not vote for someone who would act carelessly in office. Voting for Hillary has been the best decision I've made all week, how about you?
