Letter to My Sister

 I will admit that since I turned 18 years only I have only actually voted once.  Yes, you read that correctly once.  Believe me when I say I have already heard every one of the reasons I should vote and how "awful" I was for not voting.  Or how my ancestors...  Yes, I understand all that but in my heart I believe (and still sort of believe) that in reality my vote does not matter.  I figured that as long as I don't complain about politics then I was OK not voting.  I mean IF I didn't vote and complained about how things were run, then I'd be CRAZY right?

I still do not understand why we have the whole electoral college.  I want them to count every single vote in the USA equally, but that is not what happens..."when a person casts a vote in the general election, they're not really voting directly for an individual ticket. They're voting for something called Electors, and whichever ticket gets the most votes in a state then gets that state's electors who are in turn supposed to vote for the ticket."  I also understand that simply writing this post will subject me to criticizers and people will probably consider me as simple minded and I am OK with that. 

So fast forward to today, the 2016 Presidential election.  What's changed?   Why am I voting?  Let me try to explain.  No, I have not had a change in my opinion, I still don't think my Presidential vote counts. However, what has changed is I now have kids.  Yes, this makes a world of difference to my deciding to vote.   Not just because I value the future of my children.  Not just because I want my kids to be able to experience the freedoms I have.  Also not only because it is a right earned for me from countless number of men and women.

Yes, those are all great reasons to vote, speak to my children about voting and let them come vote with me. But for me personally, it isn't all about those things.  

Why I am voting:

• Party affiliation debunk: It is about teaching my children that a party affiliation does not make a person nor should it close your mind to new ideas. I want them to know that being open minded leads to growth and learning. A closed mind repels wisdom irregardless to the topic, stage of life or situation at hand. That life isn't about picking sides. Life is about being able to live in a world that not everyone agrees with you on everything.  That it is OK to agree to disagree.  That government is necessary, but not a reason for hatred or stubbornness.  You can choose a party or not, but you will never find the perfect party that supports all of your beliefs.
• Communication Skills: I feel that it is important that our children understand the necessity of courtesy in political, religious and ALL communications. That it is possible to disagree with respect, to be wrong with integrity, and to be right with humility.  That voting is your way of communicating your desires, beliefs and speaking up for myself.
• Winning isn't everything: This might be the hardest one to teach.  In this situation, I do agree with participation "trophies" via stickers.  As long as you educate yourself, stand up for your beliefs and do it all respectfully you should get a trophy.   Voting isn't about winning.  It is about being able to articulate why you believe in something.  To be able to practice respectful debates.  To be able to better yourself by being open minded and really hearing other's opinions, even if they don't change your mind.  Your candidate or proposition may not win, but you should at least try.  Just because the outcome looks bleak, does not mean you should not give it your all, stand up for yourself and attempt to make change.  This goes FAR BEYOND just politics but is a life lesson.
• Education and finding your truth: I want my children to see me dig deep into topics.  To educate myself.  Too many people give up critical analysis in favor of simply accepting other people’s opinions as their own. This is not only lazy but dangerous. This teaches our children to just go with the flow.  Just blindly follow that leader, because "everyone else is doing it".  I want my children to be thinkers and doers.  I want them to have firm beliefs and the ability to back them up, but also be able to share them with respect and humility and still have an open mind.  Just because I believe one way is truth, it does not mean they have to.  We must teach our children that there is always more to learn, that people who disagree with us aren’t always wrong, and that narrow-mindedness is the shortest path to oppression, politically, professionally and religiously.

Sidenote: Yes, I make my children come to church on Sunday's with me because I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  However, there will come a day that they will be on their own and they will need to make their own choice to follow Christianity or not.  To be a Padres fan or not.  To continue to play soccer or not. Ect.  Life is about showing and bring up our children to understand who we are as humans and that we are not perfect but that we should not just follow blindly do what others do because they are "in charge", they are our parents or that they are always right.  I want my kids to study, research and be their own person once they are on their own.  Giving them a firm foundation until then is my job and any parents job.  Whether you are raising them to believe in God or not. 

• The past is not our future: I want to teach my kids that your past is not your future.  That your past never stops being your past, but it does not have to haunt you or stop you from changing your path.  It can't stop you from blazing a new trial.  It won't stop you from being a better you.  Voting gives you the opportunity to speak your mind, follow your heart, stand up for what you believe in and to dream big.   Voting is truly about believing that just because something was like that in the past it does not have to stay the same in the future.  I have a child who wants to break the boundaries of the pageant world.  She wants to be a teacher, singer and vet all at the same time.  She wants to change the world to see her for her heart and soul not her clothing or body.  I want her to know that voting won't change everything a once, but little change is better than no change at all.

I'm voting to show my kids that I believe that they CAN and WILL change the world, even in their own small way.  I'm voting to show them that the founding fathers of this country set up a system that may not be perfect but has given many people rights they never had before.  Rights that we take for granted daily.  I'm voting because  my kids have bright futures ahead of them and even if my vote does not truly "count", at least I am showing my kids that I stand up for what I believe, but that rules, laws and boundaries are for my own good. I want my kids to know that rules work, laws help and the government not matter how messed up it seems still keeps us all together upholding the same core belief: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

I'm voting, are you?

part have been inspired by All Pro Dad