Voting for the President of the United States of America
Today is Election Day in America. We are fraught with anxiety, anger, hate, bitterness, and resentment. This is my fifth time voting for the President of the United States and I hated every minute. In previous elections I have been excited to vote, I have been well educated on my vote. I felt a genuine privilege to be an American who had the opportunity to vote.
I don’t feel that way anymore. Here is why.
*** DISCLAIMER***
I am not asking you to read this. These are my thoughts, opinions, and frustrations.
Truth, Lies & the T.V. Guys.
I doubt very seriously that I am the only American who struggles with finding the truth in all of the lies. It’s fine that we all have our sources that we turn to: news, blogs, experts, parents, friends, influencers and celebrities – hopefully some combination, but no one really knows the truth. I don’t even think that POTUS himself knows the truth – it is impossible to find it in all of the lies.
My combination is listening to the thoughts and opinions of my friends and family. I am able to get a well-rounded argument for each side. From there I am able to do my own research on topics that I find important to my family, to my life and to my goals.
The celebrities and influencers that use their voice for political intention is a freedom that they have as Americans. I admire that they are willing to get on their platform and talk about their opinions and beliefs with a big ass microphone. After some research, a majority of them do not actually have an impact on the outcome – Lebron James and Taylor Swift are the exception.
Sometimes I wonder if celebrities are pressured to feel a certain way, like journalists are.
SIDEBAR
Does anyone else find it utterly annoying when you hear ANYONE talk about how horrible POTUS is, how horrible a human, a leader – how he needs to be kicked out and rolled in the mud, shamed and broken… but also, we need to be kind to one another and respect each other…. Umm… you are as bad as he is.
continued….
If news is your primary source of political education I hope that you watch a lot of it, on a lot of different channels. Otherwise, just stop watching and vote according to the station you prefer. You are only educating your preference, not actually learning the whole story.
Every channel that I can stand to watch for even thirty minutes has a different spin on whatever topic is trending in D.C. – and it is SPIN, it isn’t truth. And it is spun according to that stations financial backing. Each network has an agenda, the agenda is to make money. This is not a newsflash. Our journalists, researchers, reporters, anchors – what do they know except that they have to produce numbers, viewers?
I wish I could say that somewhere in a news story truth could be found, but I can’t.
The Study of Journalism
I studied journalism in college, I intended to be a journalist. I feel utter relief that I chose a different path.
Journalism by definition is the “unbiased production and distribution of reports on current or past events based on facts and supported with proofs or evidences. The word journalism applies to the occupation, as well as citizen journalists who gather and publish unbiased information based on facts and supported with proofs or evidences.”
Believe it or not there is a code of ethics that journalists should follow, principles that each should garnish:
truthfulness
accuracy
objectivity
impartiality
fairness
public accountability
These seem to be principles of the past, or a pick and choose principle policy. It certainly doesn’t seem like a code of ethics that modern day journalist feel important to uphold. Is that because it isn’t popular, it doesn’t make money? Yes and yes.
I don’t vote for this.
DISrespect
The disrespect in our country today is nauseating – for each other, for opposing party members, for other colors, for other orientations and for POTUS. And, is that solely to blame on POTUS? Just because he tweets horrible things means that you do too? Americans are choosing to rebuke his bad nature, not rise above it (see also my previous sidebar) and be better.
Why is it ok to dislike, go as far as hating someone, just because they don’t believe as you do? We have become so self-righteous in our own beliefs that we cannot let a fellow American have theirs to rest in? Isn’t that what our country was founded on? Our freedom to choose.
My group of friends and family are all over the map. Like… all over it. I have staunch democrats & republicans (one republican is even a gay man – crazy), ones that ride the wave of libertarian, some that don’t vote and probably one that voted for Kayne. Guess what. I don’t care. And when we talk about politics what we find ourselves saying is, “How did it get this way?” Not, “You are a shit person with shit beliefs, you should be shot, tarred and feathered.”
As humans we were given a brain that thinks and feels and as Americans we were given the freedom to indulge in those actions. We were given the ability and freedom to choose our thoughts, feelings, actions and reactions. It is possible to choose respect.
I vote for that.
At the Polls.
I went at 10 a.m. to vote. There was no line, I assume everyone in my area voted early. I stood there staring at my ballot. I was so sad. It felt icky. There was not an ounce of pride in my body. These two men are not what I believe, they are not what I stand for. They do not conduct themselves in a manner in which I relate or appreciate. My heart hurts for our country, regardless of the outcome. Neither man understands what it means to be an average American, with average American problems.
When will political reform come? Who is going to lead that charge? Will there every be a breakdown in party lines? What will bring us together? You guys?!?!? I need answers.
I want to vote for a human that will genuinely work across the party line, or break down the party line altogether. A human that can campaign like the guys in Utah. Maybe a human that is younger and understands that term limits are beneficial to the evolution of society. This person could be a woman, a man, they could be any race and of any sexual orientation – it is what they stand for that is important. It is how they conduct themselves on their platform that is important.
The Future.
My daughter is too young to understand the importance of today, but she is not too young to feel the impact of today. She was all I could think about while staring at my ballot. This isn’t the world that I want for her. I find myself apologizing to her for willfully bringing her into this country of turmoil.
I vow to raise her to be a strong, independent thinker. She will be raised to be kind, to love without judgement. We will teach her how to forgive, how to pray and how to learn. She will learn how to be respectful and appreciative. My husband and I will teach her to do hard things.
Moms and dads, let’s spend time teaching our children how to run the world. Let’s teach them that there is good and that love will find a way.
In Conclusion.
I love being an American. I will love being an American regardless who wins the office of President of the United States in this election, or any other. My life and my daily choices are not predicated on one position and I do not live my life for the show of it. I will respect the office, I will respect the position, regardless of who fills it.
