Vote!

Vote? Are you serious? Why should I vote? 

I used to be one of the Americans that felt that way, that did not exercise their right to vote. I did not know then how terribly wrong I was. I did not then understand that people fought for the right to vote. I did not know that people died for the chance to vote. How stupid of me to not exercise my fundamental right to vote.

This is a historic year for the U.S; this is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S,. Constitution which gave women the right to vote. Well, I should clarify-it gave white women the right to vote. It was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that gave everyone fair and equal voting rights. 

As the field of candidates narrowed in the Democratic Party in this year's election, I hoped that a woman would be the front runner for the party. Now the official nominee is Joe Biden. For his running mate, he chose senator Kamala Harris, the first woman of Indian and Jamaican descent, to be on a Presidential ticket. She has made history, and it has been beautiful to witness. 

This year is also of great importance in that this is when we complete our census. The results of the census will enable the government to make changes on how it governs, based on the people in each jurisdiction. When this year's census data is compiled, lines of districts will be redrawn, prohibiting unfairly drawn electorate maps, known as gerrymandering. 

There is also much at stake this year because we lost a titan in the US Supreme Court, justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was one of the court's liberal and progressive judges. For every rule that passed that she did not agree with, she would write a letter of dissent. As such the phrase "I Dissent!" has been a battle cry for women for the last decade.

American women lost a fervent champion of equal rights in the passing of Justice Ginsburg. As I write this, Congress is holding hearings on a candidate to fill Justice Ginsburg's seat who is a conservative woman. She has spoken out against the landmark case Roe vs Wade, which gave women the right to a legal and safe abortion. Another case that could be overturned is Obergfell vs. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage. Two conservative justices on the court have written about the case in recent days: 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/05/politics/clarence-thomas-samuel-alito/index.html

The Supreme Court should be about building and expanding the rights of all citizens. If the current candidate is appointed, rights in the U.S. will be impacted for decades. As a woman, and as a queer woman, I am worried that my civil rights will be rescinded. As a human being, I am concerned of the rights of my fellow Americans.

The right to vote is of vital importance. I am reminded of a movie I watched last month called "Good Trouble", a documentary about the late Congressman John Lewis. He was active in the civil rights movement, and was there on Bloody Sunday, when people tried to peacefully walk to Mobile, Alabama, yet were met with violence on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. John Lewis was a Freedom Rider, took part in lunch counter protests, and registered black Americans to vote. He fought and bled for the right to vote. Every American should see them film, preferably before election day.

It should come as no surprise, especially after the 2016 election, but elections have consequences. n fact, a TV series called "Whose Vote Counts: Explained" on Netflix highlights the possible consequences of this year's election:

As of today there are only 20 days left to vote. That's less than 3 weeks. 

There are three ways a person can vote in the upcoming election: 

 -absentee ballot via mail 

 -early voting  

-voting on Election Day, which is November 3, 2020 

Have you voted yet? If not, make a plan. Make a plan to early vote, or vote on Election Day. The following site, "When We All Vote" can help you make your voting plan:

https://www.whenweallvote.org/

As of now, over 11 million people have cast their vote in this election. I voted via absentee ballot, and submitted my vote through the mail. The day that early voting began in my city, the line of people to early vote went around the block! People were spaced 6 feet apart, wearing masks, waiting patiently. I have heard many a tale of voters across the country waiting in line for several hours before they could cast their vote. In fact, one gentleman in the state of Georgia waited in line for 12 hours to cast his vote! Chef Jose Andres of World Central Kitchen went to Texas and Georgia to feed voters waiting in line!

https://chefsforthepolls.org/

Polls of voters have Joe Biden ahead. From the bottom of my heart, don't believe in the polls. Don't become complacent. Don't believe any poll that you see before election day. Case in point: this picture, which shows the polls from the election in 2016, and the polls happening now...

Place no importance in polls. In this election, we need to vote like our life depends on it. Because in this country, in this fight for basic civil rights, and in a global pandemic, it literally does.

My friend, hear me. No matter who you vote for, make sure you vote. Your vote is your voice. Your voice matters. You matter. And we cannot survive or thrive as a country without you.

If you were an admirer of the late John Lewis, vote for John. If you were a fan of the late Justice Ginsburg, do it for Ruth. Do it for your neighbors, your family, yourself!

Nothing can change without your vote. Your vote, your voice, can change the world.