I’ve always been known to be very open-minded and brutally honest. In other words, when time came to register to vote, I felt I was more liberal than I was conservative. The American spirit is to be chased and pursued and the democratic platforms on the freedom to choose, education reform, and preservation of our Earth capture the essence of that very spirit. I have come from a long line of Democrats and Republicans alike. Family dinners were like the debates you watch on television, but with mashed potatoes and pie at the end. I quickly learned what I did and did not like to hear. Democrats were the more progressive party that thought like the 21st-century people should think, I liked the idea of that and remembered it when I proudly wrote Democrat as my official party.

As I grew older, I started watching more current events and getting more involved with what was going on in the world around me. One of the more pressing issues that made me more sure of my choice, was the Democratic platform on education. “Democrats have long valued education as a key to success.” President Franklin Roosevelt, also a fellow democrat, introduced the G.I. Bill during his presidency. This benefit is designed to help cover the costs of training and higher education for eligible veterans. In creating this bill, President Roosevelt created the modern middle class. President Obama has been the next president to succeed in setting high standards for education. The Obama Administration has doubled the investment into Pell Grants, and there has been a proposal made to make community college free to anyone willing to work for it. Education is a passion of mine, and I plan to pursue it throughout my life. Without the help of the Democratic party, I fear that would not be possible.

Democrats also put great emphasis on a human's right to choose. You are able to live your life and live it however you like, whether you are LGBT or you have had an abortion in the past. America is about freedom, and freedom is not about persecuting others for the choices that they make. People spend so much time worrying about what another person is doing, they are missing out on what a great person that person may be. I am proud to say I am part of the generation when President Obama made LGBT marriage legal. Equality for everyone, and their ability to choose what makes them happy. Judgment is not ours to make.

I am also an activist for clean energy. Democrats stand for decreasing the effects of climate change, protecting natural resources and ensuring the quality of our air, water, and land. Under his Presidential term, President Obama, The Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), issued new fuel-economy standards. Also under his term in June 2013, President Obama laid out a Climate Action Control Plan to reduce the harmful effects of climate change. I have seen the harmful effects of pollution in Beijing, and if we don’t start making changes now that will be America’s future. I would like to see Democrats rise up and show America we are the face of clean energy and we have the education and the solutions to fix our problems.

To become more open-minded, you immerse yourself in education. To become more worry-free, you solve the problems. Those are the characteristics of a Democrat, and that is why it was so easy for me to make my choice. We are the free-thinkers, the problem solvers and the ones who continue to change the face of the world. Why did I become a Democrat? It was the only logical choice for me.