When I was younger, I imagined voting as sort of an exciting thing that we did as Americans. It is our right to choose who governs our great nation, and we choose based on who we believe will make our country a better place. I romanticized this idea and believed that only the nation's best, the most fit for the position from both parties, would run. Never in my young naive mind would I have imagined the candidates running now in my first year as a registered voter.
Many of the big names surprised me. I remember thinking "They'll never move forward. It will die out in a few months." But it did not die out; the flame persisted. I never expected to feel like I could be voting based on who I hated the least. However, as much as I may dislike some of the candidates, I realized my vote is still important. It still counts.
Many of us, myself included, play the following game. We follow the latest fashion trends. We follow the beauty trends, the body shape trends. We follow the news trends. We follow the media trends. We follow the who-I-should-vote-for trends. This trend will be our biggest downfall.
It doesn't matter who you vote for, as long as you vote. Of course I would love it if everyone voted for who I wanted, but I would never want that, because then there would be no point to the freedom of choice. Voting is not just our right, it is our privilege. It is our privilege to vote for someone we believe in, someone we count on to make our future better. But it can't be our privilege if we haven't actually researched what we believe in.
Don't vote for someone because the media told you to or because all of your friends are voting for that person. Vote for that person because you love their policies and you know they can take you to where you want to be in the future. You cannot know those things unless you are an educated voter. Read the newspaper. Open a magazine. Google the candidates' websites and read their policies. Watch the news (only watching Fox or CNN doesn't count). Listen to the debates. Educate yourself.
It does not matter who you believe in. It does not matter who you vote for. But if you do choose to use your right to vote this election year, know that your voice matters. Make sure it is actually your voice, not someone else's. Make sure you know who and what you are voting for. Educate yourself. It is a privilege to vote, so do not let someone else's beliefs inhibit your voice.
