Good morning, America. Election day is nearly upon us. The day many have been fearing, loathing, waiting to come and go, or a combination of the three. Hopefully, regardless of how you feel about the candidates or even the election in general, you go out and vote. Not just because you support — or hate — a particular candidate, vote for your vision of America.
If this electoral season — or year, if we’re being honest — has made anything abundantly clear to Americans, it has to be how we view America. Trump’s vision is that of an America gone by: an ill-defined concept hinged on what the individual voter views as the greatest decade in our history. Trump seeks to bring back an America which, perhaps, never existed in the first place. Regardless, this piecemeal collection of rose-tinted memories is what Trump and many of his supporters view as the best way forward, taking a step backward to move forward, if you will.
Clinton, on the other hand, rejects the past as a concrete guideline for the future. She and supporters view the past as exactly that — an assortment of both the best and worst America has to offer. This history, while important, lacks a holistic way forward for an America more diverse than any of its predecessors.
Whichever candidate you select, do realize this election goes beyond you and your ballot. This election has the potential to impact America on a scale few people alive today have seen before. Whoever wins decides not only on the vision of America for the next four years, but on the very nature of who we, as a country, are. If you don’t believe me, simply look to the language and actions of the candidates and their supporters: spewing vitriol and hate towards the other, entrenching each other on opposing ends of the ideological spectrum. This electoral battle and whoever's left standing in the end will speak volumes about the state of America.
To those of you who would choose not to vote, either out of dislike for the candidates or of the political process in general, I plead with you to change your mind. Fifty years from now, this election will be considered a defining point in modern America. What we all do now matters not just for us, but for the successive generations. Not playing a role is accepting the outcome without having a voice in the process. Not playing a role is having no say in who defines us as a nation.
In the end, the future of America will, as it always has been, be decided by the voter. We have an obligation to make our voices heard. It’s what our ancestors fought and died for. It’s why we fought for independence. It’s why America is America. On Tuesday, the long road to the presidency will end with your vote, your voice and your choice, America.