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I didn't vote. I won't make excuses. And I know I can't complain. This Wednesday's report about the Red Flood, was no shock to me. I knew that many of us blue=blooded Americans wouldn't show up to the polls. More specifically, I knew that my generation wouldn't vote just because we could. And while I hate to say that I didn't exercise my right, I can't say I feel remorseful about my decision. I KNOW. It's crazy. Me, of all people, disinterested in voting. As a Howard Alum, undercover feminist, and a black female business owner, my minority vote should have been cast. But, when I looked at my options, I wasn't given much of a choice. The candidates on the ballot didn't deserve the support of my vote. And on top of my growing disdain for this season's electoral campaigns, I must admit that I am disenfranchised with my country. America has shelled out mind-blowing Supreme Court decision, moral-blowing judicial decisions and a pocket-blowing Government shutdown since the last midterm elections. Of course, Millenials didn't show up to vote. We don't care about formalities. I can't speak for others. But I don't use my voice, just because I have it. I use my voice because I have something to say. There was nothing for me to say this election period. The only people with an opinion, this election season, were those who were angry that American might just be "The Land of the Free" and those who wanted to assert that they had the right to vote. To the advantage of Republicans, I fit neither of those bills. I would have been going to the polls simply because I am a business owner, black and a woman. And shockingly enough, I am still all those things even though I didn't vote. My place in my community didn't all the sudden disappear because I didn't vote for democrats just for the sake of voting blue. Lately, American politics have been more about screaming opposite opinions that it has been about building a nation. Preposterous platforms that eradicate birth control and millions of unaccounted for dollars have been added to smear campaigns and the American people are supposed to go out and pick between the lesser evils. Not me. The focus now should be 2016. What should be more important to Democratic leaders is not the loss of seats in Congress and government positions, but the loss of candidates that make voters want to support their platform. Hopefully, this bloody season in American politics will signal Democratic candidates to drop their personal agendas and pick up the agendas of the community, the middle class, the everyday American. I'll sit back in silence as Bruce Rauner turns Illinois into a well-running conglomerate ignorant of the needs of its citizens. I will zip my lips while Congress derails the President's progression. And I pray that the next time a ballot is available, my voice actually has a reason to be heard. |
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ATS MagAgainst the Stream Magazine is an urban platform. We edify our readers by finding noble, pure, and true talent and giving it a stage to flourish. While we love bragging about the folks around us, we also tackle urban issues by giving real world solutions. Archives
September 2015
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