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.
