The America I'm Choosing

From my childhood through to my first year of high school, I was bullied. Physically. Emotionally. And more.

What did I do to deserve this torment? It was for the stupidest, and simplest, of reasons (I was skinny, the shortest kid in my class, and my Polish last name made me stand out in a sea of Scottish, Irish, and English names). It would make me sick to my stomach and I often begged not to have to go to school.

Over this past presidential campaign season, I’ve felt that sick to my stomach feeling again and again.

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During that time I was being bullied, I also was exposed to what it felt like to be looked down upon by those who were wealthier and more powerful than my family. We weren’t dirt poor, but we didn’t have very much, but that was still an opening to be knocked down again.

For example, one time my mom was in the local butcher’s shop and had this interaction with one of my classmate’s mother:

Friend’s Mother: Oh, hi. Have you tried the filet mignon?
My Mom: No.
Friend’s Mother: Oh, that’s right. You wouldn’t be able to afford it.
My Mom: <mortified and speechless>

Those times made me feel angry and helpless.

Over this past presidential campaign season, I’ve felt angry and helpless again and again.

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Not very long after I stopped getting bullied in high school (mostly because the summer between freshman and sophomore years I shot up and became one of the tallest in my class), I began working at a retail store just over the river from Newark, NJ in my hometown of Kearny. It was my first experience interacting with people of different cultures and backgrounds.

I had become one of the youngest assistant managers, which led to some customers believing they could intimidate me because of my youth. But that was not the worst of it. I witnessed the racism and verbal abuse of hateful bigots who thought they could belittle two of my co-workers (one a timid Indian young girl and the other a tall, skinny, African-American teenage boy) because they did not move fast enough.

Those times made me feel very sad and afraid of what those people action’s represented.

Over this past presidential campaign season, I’ve felt very sad and afraid again and again.

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At that same job, I met the first openly gay person I’d ever known. Since that time, I’ve known many gay friends and family members. They’ve all been amazing, loving people who have never been anything but equal friends and loved ones. But, the saddest thing to me, is that some of them still are not out because they are fearful of what might happen to them. When I hear that it frustrates me so much that they cannot live happy, loving lives as they truly are.

Over this past presidential campaign season, I’ve felt very frustrated again and again.

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Over the past eleven years, I’ve spent the majority of my time caring for my special needs child. My son’s autism is the defining factor in most of my family’s daily habits. I’ve made it a major part of my life to spread autism awareness and education. These children are different, yes, but they are most certainly not less.

When I see someone make fun of the challenges these kids and adults face, well, it makes me lose faith in humanity.

Over this past presidential campaign season, I’ve most definitely lost faith again and again.

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Donald Trump’s candidacy (and his supporters) has, indeed, made me sick to my stomach, angry, sad, frustrated, and faithless in humanity.

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This November 8th, we have a big choice to make for President. We can vote for the man who has embodied all of the disgraceful examples I’ve brought up here, or we can vote for the woman who has spent her life serving this country and, while she may not be our perfect candidate, will represent the United States in a professional, educated, compassionate manner.

I choose to believe in an America that isn’t a bully. An America that uses its power and wealth for good. An America who is free for all of its citizens no matter the color of their skin, the person they choose to love, or the deity they choose to worship. I choose an America that looks out for their poor, weak, and disabled and builds them up, rather than knocking them down. I choose THAT America.

I choose to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Why I’m Voting for Obama

As I write this, Election Day is a few hours away. There has never been any doubt in my mind who I would vote for. I can say, without shame or embarrassment, I will be voting again for Barack Obama.

Yes, I am a life-long Democrat and consider myself a Liberal. But if I didn’t believe that the person I was voting for could represent my beliefs or truly had the best interest of America in mind, well, I wouldn’t, no, couldn’t vote for them.

Our presidential elections have gotten way out of control lately. The Right vs. Left, Republican vs. Democrat, Conservative vs. Liberal battle takes away from the true reasons we have government in the first place. That being to serve and protect the citizens of our great country.

My beliefs about the type of nation I want to live in, and how our government should serve and protect the public, have been formed over my lifetime and from what my heart tells me is right. I’ve always believed that our government should give help to the sick and poor, work toward peace, and protect our freedoms as much as possible. I’ve also always believed that greed is disgusting, war is evil, and racism in all forms is a hatred that humanity should have no use for.

I grew up in a family that didn’t have very much. Higher education wasn’t even a consideration and you basically knew your future didn’t offer much in the form of opportunities for success. The upper class didn’t know we existed and the middle class was a neighborhood we could only fantasize about. But I was a smart and observant kid and as I’d take the realities of life in I would realize that all people need is a fair chance.

I got that chance because of the government. I was the first person in my family to graduate from college. And I couldn’t have done it without financial aid…a government program. My fair chance. It’s all I asked for and I made the most of it. I’m not a rich man by far, but I am better off than my life would have been because I got a chance.

College also allowed me to meet many different types of people. They were all getting their chance, too. Some of those people were from backgrounds or orientations that were often discriminated against. They taught me to be open-minded and understanding. Being open-minded and understanding is also giving someone a fair chance.

Now, moving forward, I’m the father of an autistic child. My son, Mikey, he needs a fair chance. He’s been incredibly fortunate to have services and teachers available to him since he was first diagnosed. Those resources have also been provided by government programs. He’s going to need those resources for the rest of his life…a lifetime of fair chances.

Fair chances aren’t difficult to give. Making healthcare available to the poor, education readily accessible, providing equal rights to both sexes and all orientations…these are things the government should do and can do way better than most of us can do on our own.

That’s the country I want to live in…one of opportunity for all, not the few. A fair chance to grow, excel, and be happy. And I believe Barack Obama, a man who has made the most of his opportunities, is the President we need to make this a country of progress, prospects, and fair chances for all.