Like many others around the U.S. are doing today, I voted. I actually voted over a week ago, by mail-in ballot. Even though I didn't get an "I Voted" sticker, I did have an inner sense of pride as I dropped my California ballot into the mailbox. During this election season, I have thought a lot about why I vote, and why it is important to me. Several reasons stand out.
- I am a descendant from immigrants who came to the United States for the opportunitieses it promised.
- Many people have fought and died for the opportunity to vote, and I want to honor their legacy.
- As a Chinese-American woman, I vote to have my voice and opinions heard.
- I believe in advocating for those who don't have the same opportunities and freedoms as I do.
- I am responsible for my children, and my vote shapes the world they grow up in.
- I don't believe in whining, complaining, and apathy.
- I vote in defiance of voter suppression and other systemic injustices.
- I hope that my one small vote can influence big change.
Why do you vote?
I voted for the same reasons you did.
ReplyDeleteI voted because I had the resources and made the choice to give up my South Korean citizenship and swear allegiance to the United States.
I voted because that decision was not made lightly or quickly. It took me until my 40s to do so, despite having immigrated as an infant.
I voted because people like you and me didn't have the right to vote until the mid- to late-1900s so it seems like its a privilege to take advantage of...because it could be taken away.
I voted because the Jesus I follow and love engaged in the world he lived in, as messy as it was, and took a stand for people who often couldn't take a stand.