Quit complaining.
I keep hearing people say or seeing people post on social media how disgusted they are with this election and “having to choose” between the lesser of two evils.
Really… “having to choose”. Those are the operative words here.
Yes, you are living in a country where you are now pressured by your society to choose your own leader. I’m sorry if you don’t like your candidates. But, you know what? They were also chosen by a vote. A vote that was open to all the citizens of this country. A vote in which I participated.
And really, that is pretty incredible in and of itself. Because in order for me to even be on this continent, between just the right lines of latitude to call myself a voting American, a lot of things had to happen. My great-great-……-great grandfather, Patrick Harper, had to decide in 1640 to flee England-conquered Ireland and the religious persecution there and take a gamble at crossing the ocean to go to a completely unknown continent. Then his descendants and their peers had to take part in a massive rebellion against the world’s superpower of the time and fight in a revolution. Then, their descendants dealt with voter discrimination slanted against Catholics in the new colonies (speaking specifically about my Irish ancestors here). Even when that was all sorted out, half of their descendants, my great grandparents, still didn’t get to vote until 1920 because they were women.
If you are living on this continent, as an American, either you or your ancestors went through hell to see that you got to choose your own leaders. Your ancestors came here voluntarily, or were forcibly brought here. They came hundreds of years ago or you came here yourself just a few years ago. It doesn’t matter; they all had to fight for voting rights.
They fought by fighting a literal war for independence, or by protesting and marching for gender/racial/income/religious equality in voting rights and enduring arrest, ridicule, sometimes physical violence. Or, just by risking their livelihood to cross a river or an ocean and get to a new country.
“Having to choose” is the privilege our families wanted, and did not always have. Set aside your disappointment that the candidates you wanted didn’t make the final cut, and honor your ancestors who got us here by celebrating the vote.
I keep hearing people say or seeing people post on social media how disgusted they are with this election and “having to choose” between the lesser of two evils.
Really… “having to choose”. Those are the operative words here.
Yes, you are living in a country where you are now pressured by your society to choose your own leader. I’m sorry if you don’t like your candidates. But, you know what? They were also chosen by a vote. A vote that was open to all the citizens of this country. A vote in which I participated.
And really, that is pretty incredible in and of itself. Because in order for me to even be on this continent, between just the right lines of latitude to call myself a voting American, a lot of things had to happen. My great-great-……-great grandfather, Patrick Harper, had to decide in 1640 to flee England-conquered Ireland and the religious persecution there and take a gamble at crossing the ocean to go to a completely unknown continent. Then his descendants and their peers had to take part in a massive rebellion against the world’s superpower of the time and fight in a revolution. Then, their descendants dealt with voter discrimination slanted against Catholics in the new colonies (speaking specifically about my Irish ancestors here). Even when that was all sorted out, half of their descendants, my great grandparents, still didn’t get to vote until 1920 because they were women.
If you are living on this continent, as an American, either you or your ancestors went through hell to see that you got to choose your own leaders. Your ancestors came here voluntarily, or were forcibly brought here. They came hundreds of years ago or you came here yourself just a few years ago. It doesn’t matter; they all had to fight for voting rights.
They fought by fighting a literal war for independence, or by protesting and marching for gender/racial/income/religious equality in voting rights and enduring arrest, ridicule, sometimes physical violence. Or, just by risking their livelihood to cross a river or an ocean and get to a new country.
“Having to choose” is the privilege our families wanted, and did not always have. Set aside your disappointment that the candidates you wanted didn’t make the final cut, and honor your ancestors who got us here by celebrating the vote.