Dear America

Dear America,

Today is Monday, November 2, 2020.
Tomorrow is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

On June 1, I wrote a letter to the Black community and anyone who’s experienced injustice. I apologized for how privileged my white thinking had been, I apologized for not doing everything in my power each day to call out injustice, and I promised, moving forward, that I would do everything in my power each day to command justice.

Within that letter, I wrote:

“The people are crying inside and out. The people have had enough. The people are unsupported. The people have been struck down unnecessarily too many times. The people are angry. The people haven’t been heard. The people have been forgotten time and time again. The people are being lead by a white male supremacist who has encouraged violence and racism his entire presidency. “When the looting starts the shooting starts?” How can the President of the United States of America speak like that. Why is gun violence so high? How are over 40 MILLION people out of jobs right now? How did you let over 100,000 of your people DIE in the past four months? WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

I’m a journalist. I’m a qualified journalist. And even I can admit that when the news gets tough, I turn it off. There’s so much negativity, but that’s not good enough. I vow to turn it on, I vow to keep it on, I vow to get educated and understand what’s going on in this world. And while I might not be able to vote come November 3, I vow to do my best to encourage others to celebrate their right to do so, make the right choice, stand up for the voiceless, and be on the right side of history. I want to live in a world that’s on the right side of history. I don’t want to live in a world of pain and hate anymore. President Trump, I ask you, where were you today? Where were you over the weekend? You were hiding behind closed doors in your bunker trolling people on Twitter. Our President, Joe Biden, was on the streets with the people. Listening to the people. Comforting the people. Celebrating the people.

We will vote you out November 3.”

Today is Monday, November 2, 2020.
Tomorrow is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

I have stuck to my promise. I’ve kept the news on. I’ve been working on getting educated. I’ve been doing my best to understand what’s going on in this world and the effects it has on everyone.

COVID-19 deaths in the US reached a heartbreaking 100,000+ back in June.
COVID-19 deaths in the US have now reached an unthinkable 231,000+. It has more than doubled in the past five months.

While nothing can be compared to the loss of even a single life, mix in the rate of unemployment, homelessness, the lack of health care, racial injustice, and the list goes on. That is current America.

America, we can’t live through another four years of this. We need a president who believes in: health care and WILL listen to the experts like Dr Fauci, economic and racial equality for all, civil rights, SCIENCE and climate change, The Supreme Court, and us. WE NEED A PRESIDENT WHO CARES ABOUT US.

The current leader does not believe in: health care and does NOT listen to the experts like Dr Fauci, economic and racial equality for all, civil rights, SCIENCE and climate change, The Supreme Court, and us. WE NEED A PRESIDENT WHO CARES ABOUT US.

There’s currently a Tweet from Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, making the rounds.

“If Trump applied for a job with any company in the US, HR would deny his hiring. 26 sexual assault allegations, 6 bankruptcies, numerous lawsuits, + countless charges of racism going back decades. Yet we have no problem hiring him to be president? Think about that before u vote!”

Thoughts?

I believe in freedom of speech and believe in the right to have your own political opinion. But I will not sit back, keep my mouth shut, and just politely smile. I have no issue with any Republican. Being a Republican doesn’t determine who you are and your values. BUT, voting Republican in this election does. Voting for Trump in this election, is a vote for racism, white male supremacy, inequality in all forms/groups, and hate. A Republican vote in this election means you condone racism, white male supremacy, inequality, and injustice in all forms/groups, and hate. You condone hate.

You can’t tell someone that you love them and then vote for someone who will hurt them.

When they say, “Vote like your life depends on it,” it’s because it does. This election doesn’t just impact the next four years, it impacts many, many, many years to come.

Your vote DOES count. You CAN make a difference.

Be proud of your right vote and exercise this right tomorrow, if you haven’t already done so. It is so important you don’t stand back and stand by. See what I did there! If you’re voting tomorrow, November 3, you have the legal right to vote, as long as you are in line — even at closing time. Even at closing time, your vote WILL be counted. So stay in line.

I am living in the United States on a green card. While I pay all my taxes and have mostly the same rights as any citizen, I do not have the right to vote. I, along with the other 13.2+ million other permanent residents, will not be voting tomorrow. Just like your future is at stake, so is ours. Vote for us.

When I was 10, I penned a journal entry that said I was going to move to the United States when I grew up. I had never been to America but in my mind, it was this safe, loving, and powerful country. It was exciting and this magical location where only the best in the world lived. When I grew up, just a little bit, and would travel to the US, the first thing I’d see when getting off the plane was a massive poster of former President Barack Obama. His smile was a smile that guaranteed safety, love, and power — in all the right ways. That is no longer America, and it has not been for nearly four years.

America, it’s time to vote for a better future for not just yourself, your family, your friends, but the future generations to come. This election will impact future generations to come. It’s sad to see such a divide in a nation that’s known for its patriotism. It’s sad to see such hate in a nation that’s known for its love. It’s just sad.

No-one is born racist, judgemental, with malice or hate. It is developed and taught. It is no longer enough to stay quiet. Say something by voting. Say something by VOTING HIM OUT. Say something by voting for a Biden/Harris team. They’re a team we can trust. They’re a team that wants us to have a brighter future. They’re a team that cares.

Your vote is your most powerful voice. Your vote represents your values, your ethics, and you as a person. I hope you will join me in refusing silence, refusing ignorance, and refusing to accept injustice.

We do not have the privilege to just hope, wait, and pray for a better world. Stand up, speak out, and be the change that makes it happen.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Vote.