November 4, 2008

Friends, Readers, Internet Stalkers (you know who you are),

Today we have a chance to make history.

Today we have a chance to grant civil liberties to those that deserve them.

Today we have a chance to make change.

Four years ago I bundled myself and my 4 year old son up and we walked to the polls to vote. We talked on the way about the importance of voting and how if we want to see change in the world, we have to make it happen. It was a glorious thing, my son and I tromping through the leaves with our "I Voted" stickers on, full of hope and excitement as we walked home feeling we had done something important. When we woke the next morning and I told him that George Bush had won again, I felt like I had lied to him. I told him that we could make a difference, and we hadn't. Nevertheless, I have continued to take him to the polls with me when voting on local issues and keep up the notion that we can help make change happen.

When it came time to vote for the Democratic Presidential Candidate the now 8 year old boy knew who he wanted to be the next president, and it happened that I agreed with him. We got to the polls to vote and a poll worker said, "Now, he is not allowed to influence your vote in any way...." I looked at her and said, "This is his future too, you are wrong." We voted, collected another sticker and left feeling that once again, we had done something important......only to be let down again the next morning. The boy's reaction to the news was simple, he said "Well, I really wanted to see the first woman President, but the first African American President will be ok too." Kids...

The Democratic nominee's for President and Vice President were not my first choice, (frankly I would have liked to have seen a Clinton/Obama ticket)but in politics it always seems you are forced to choose the lesser of two evils, and to me Obama/Biden makes a hell of a lot more sense than "Old for da Earth Cotton Hill & Alaska Hockey Mom Barbie".

Tonight we will make that trek to the polls again and we will vote and we will be unafraid and full of hope.

Again.

Please remember to vote.