I refuse to leave! As the political battle of presidential candidates rages on I have heard and read statements from people saying they will move to a different country should a certain person become president. I can't lie, this thought has crossed my mind. I do love Canada (except for the cold), and France would be really nice. But as I consider my position as a feminist, a mom, a conservationist, a breastfeeding defender, a lover of love, a hunter, an agnostic, and pro-choice, I feel it is my duty to stay.
I am staying because this country needs people like me. It is my duty to remain in my country and let my voice be heard. It is my duty to show the people in our government that the voices that got them elected are not the only voices they must serve in the office of president. The U.S.A is a diverse country with many needs and to be the leader of this country means you must work to serve those needs...ALL of those needs.
I am concerned about all the things I have seen out there that fuel hatred. Hatred among races, among religions, among other countries, among beliefs. We can't fuel this country on hate and fear! That makes us just as bad as the terrorists. Wouldn't our children be much prouder of us if we hugged each other rather than punched each other?
(This video does not serve as my endorsement of any particular candidate, it is just to illustrate the differences between a hate and love and the power of a hug. It also illustrates how the demeanor of a public figure can influence the behavior of his/her supporters.)
As president you are responsible for representing all of us on the international stage. If you cannot do so with professionalism, dignity, and compassion you do not deserve the honor of being president. We are progressive, we are not afraid, we want better for our children.
I am staying because no matter who gets elected president that person will need to know my views and those of people like me. We will need to fight to maintain and advance our views, we will need to shout that hate and fear will not run our lives and that we as Americans have an integrity to uphold. We need to make sure we do not regress on policies that have protected our natural resources, advanced our economy, and protected our civil rights. We need to make sure we continue to move forward with policies that serve our needs, ensure our health, and protect our vulnerable populations.
So hear me now! You will hear from me once you are in office. The people of this country cannot be silenced by the statements that got you elected. You will have supporters that feed into your policies and programs (or lack there of), but once elected you will need to answer to all of the citizens of the U.S.A.
So no matter who I vote for in November and no matter who wins this presidential election, I will work hard to make my voice heard and try to influence policies that make sense for the U.S.A. Because it is important that our government work for us. It is important that they know what we want and that they cannot govern a people without listening to the people.
