A little more than a week after at least 50 million of us were affected by Hurricane Sandy, Americans are about to go to the polls tomorrow to vote in a very important presidential election at a pivotal point in our history as a nation. We are working against widespread voter suppression—yes, in 2012—grounded in racism and classism, and so much is at stake. This election isn’t just about President Obama’s policies over the next four years, it’s about the fact that there are currently four seated Supreme Court justices in their 70s. Whoever wins this election will likely nominate a new justice, and therein lies the future of our civil rights.
LISTEN UP: Whatever you believe about the U.S. economy and what can and should be done to fix it, we simply cannot legislate away our rights in the mean time. This is not a joke. This is not feeding clichéed lines about choosing the “lesser of two evils.” This is about doing our duty as American citizens to protect each other and ensure that future generations will live in a country with all of the freedoms they deserve. This is about saying NO to hatred, bigotry and discrimination.
I’ve been thinking a lot today about what I wanted to write in this post, but it occurred to me that so much of what I’m feeling is so closely aligned with what my (sensitive, insightful, passionate, well-spoken) friend Daniel wrote on his blog a few days ago…so I’ll let him say it for me. Here’s an excerpt:
I know people who are voting for Republicans. Some of these people I even count as friends. When I talk to them about it, the general response seems to be that they don’t “personally” support discrimination, even if discrimination is central to Republican social policy. Let me be clear: there is nothing more personal than a vote. By voting for Mitt Romney, you are casting a vote for discrimination. You are casting a vote against me, against my family, against equality, against fairness, against love, against freedom, against the promise of liberty and justice for all. A vote for this Republican party, as it stands in 2012, is a vote for discrimination. You are complicit in it, you are supporting it, you are perpetuating it. There is no other way to look at it, and it’s truly heartbreaking to see people I otherwise respect blind to this fact.
The choice in this election couldn’t be clearer, and not just on this issue. It’s the difference between a president who cares about the future of our education system, our public sector workers, and the social programs that attempt to keep those in need afloat, versus a party who doesn’t. It’s the difference between a president who has regained much of our respect in the world and has a proven record of successful foreign policy experience, versus a candidate with no experience, Bush’s foreign policy advisors, and reckless and wildly inconsistent ideas about the rest of the world. It’s the difference between a president who supports rights for women to receive equal pay for equal work, to have access to contraception, and to seek a safe and legal abortion if necessary, versus a party who would deny all of these rights. It’s a choice between a President who has dug this economy out of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression versus a party who wants to return to the policies that caused the collapse in the first place. It’s the choice between a president who regards global warming as a real and tangible threat versus a party who thinks the climate change is a hoax, a joke, or both. It’s the difference between a president who doesn’t think you should go broke or die because of medical costs, versus a party that sees only the bottom line for the insurance industry. It’s the choice between a president who believes in equality versus a party who believes so profoundly in discrimination that they would amend our Constitution to reflect their extreme ideology. And that’s just off the top of my head.
Go over to Manhattan Nest to read all of Daniel’s post if you haven’t already. He expresses perfectly why this is such an important election, and why Barack Obama is the right choice to lead this country for the next four years. I hear a lot of talk about being a “values voter,” and that is exactly what I am: I support Obama because I support the civil rights of all Americans. I care about a compassionate future for my country. Those are my values, and my vote supports them.
In Novemeber 2008, we did this. Now let’s go out there and do it again. GO VOTE, AMERICA!
✚ Banner image by Lisa Congdon for the #GoVote project!
43 Comments
Anna,
I couldn’t agree more with you about all of this. People who say they’re voting for “the lesser of two evils” ARE copping out, and though I have several Republican friends who I love dearly, and who are very intelligent and actually quite socially liberal, I cannot understand how they can put aside what Romney stands for socially. To me, even if Romney doesn’t necessarily believe everything his party stands for, he is still perpetuating those ideas by running as part of that platform. I cannot and will not overlook that.
I’m sure you’ve seen this, but there’s a quote by Pulitzer- and Tony-award winning playwright Doug Wright that’s stuck with me, and that I’m planning to post on my own blog, as well–it’s specifically about gay rights, but I think it applies to so much more, including women’s rights and education:
“I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest. They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice and say, ‘My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood.’ It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you ‘disagree’ with your candidate on these issues.”
I’m not going to lie, I’m concerned about the outcome of this election, but I’m hopeful, too. We did it once; we can do it again.
LOVE that Doug Wright quote, Megan. Thanks for sharing it here.
A great and pleasant surprise to see this post. Thanks for doing your part to get out the vote. Check the link for your polling site in NYC, especially since it may have changed b/c of hurricane relief: http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm
Thanks, PJ!
It’s also worth noting that Governor Cuomo is allowing affidavit ballots at any polling site in the state for those displaced by Sandy:
http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/cuomo-allows-affidavit-ballots-for-sandy-victims-1.4188682?qr=1
I completely respect your for standing up for your beliefs and value system. I think we need more people who are aware of political issues and willing to use their freedom to vote.
These stories of bigotry and discrimination do exist and they are terrible, but its also important to look at other major issues, and where we are getting our info from. To me, if our president can’t defend the weakest and most defenseless, than how can I trust him to care for the rest of the nation? He has continually voted for laws accepting partial birth abortion and infantacide. An issue so disturbing to me I can’t even wrap my mind around it. A respect for all stages of life will in turn generate greater respect and love for our neighbor.
He has also spent more than all of previous president’s combined. This is something our nation is realizing we cannot overlook. Unemployment has gone up, the amount of people who are on food stamps have skyrocketed. He may be a good man, but maybe not a good leader. We won’t survive another four years with these terms.
I just wanted to maybe give you some reasons to understand the other side. I respect your perspective, and I know at the end of the day, the people will have their say. We are blessed to live in a country with this freedom.
Best wishes:)
OK, first of all, I have to mention something specific in your comment that I find really, really disturbing. How can you seriously accuse Obama of being in favor of infanticide (!!!) and then one paragraph later say, “he may be a good man”? What? Either you KNOW that you’re being hyperbolic in your use of the word “infanticide,” or you think that someone can commit a crime like that and still be a “good man.” Which is it? I’m hoping it’s the former.
Obama has opposed various anti-choice provisions because they contain dangerous language that puts the health and well-being of women at risk. He will not support legislation that does not have provision to protect pregnant women—whether for the sake of mental or physical health. Under Roe v. Wade (remember the Supreme Court?), women in this country have the RIGHT to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term, and anything that interferes that that right puts women in danger. This “infanticide” claim of yours is total nonsense, and as I already said, I think you know it. I’ll just link to this Slate article and leave it at that.
4.3 million jobs were lost in this country during Obama’s first year in office, the majority of them in the first three months. You don’t have to be an economic genius to grasp that those job losses were not induced by an Obama presidency. In fact, over the course of the three years that have passed since then, 4.9 million jobs have been regained. In other words, there has been a NET GAIN of half a million jobs under Obama, and that number has been climbing rapidly in the past few months. It took GWB eight long, miserable years to make a mess out of the strong economy Clinton left him with, and it’s going to take more than 4 years to recover—especially with a partisan Congress getting in the way.
Your anti-spending, anti-social welfare comments are disturbing, but I’ll leave them alone since I guess that’s just the way you roll. I personally abhor the “I’ve got mine” approach to governing. I do agree with you that a president (and ALL OF US) should protect the weakest and most defenseless, but I’m at a loss as to how you think someone like Mitt Romney—who thinks climate change is a joke and doesn’t think you’re entitled to medical care—even comes close to being that person.
And finally, freedom is not a “blessing.” It isn’t some magical aura delivered to us by a supernatural being. It’s something we have to work together to achieve, and we have to support legislation that protects the freedoms promised to us by the Constitution. Freedom can only be perpetuated by humanity, compassion and equal rights within our society.
Anna L., I’m glad you brought up your “reasons to understand the other side” because they pretty much confirm exactly what I think about the other side: YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. I actually don’t think I can pull out a single factual statement in your comment, and given the length of it, that’s kind of impressive. Thank you for making that even more impeccably clear for me, I owe you one.
Dear Anna L.;
As I always say: when people oppose gay-marriage, “Don’t get gay-married then.” When people are against abortion: “Good, don’t get an abortion.” (And make sure your childeren get A-class sex-education so they won’t need it because they know what to do when they go have sex)
But that doesn’t mean that you get to decide that other people cannot do that as well. That is what freedom and democracy is all about, that you tolerate that other people have other views, make other decisions, take on their personal responsibilities in a different way, and love other people and that you respect them none the less. Democracy is about giving people space and support to be the best person they can be. In the end that benefits the country as a whole as well.
I believe in God, I think the God I feel connected to loves life and is absolutely overjoyed whenever two people love each other. Whoever they are and whatever they do, because she is all about love. When politicians claim to defend God’s point of view it really makes me sick. It’s abusive, manipulative and it’s personal and has absolutely no place in politics. Not my God and not your God.
Have a wonderful day!!!
Obama!
I won’t be voting, Until this country realizes there’s more than just 2 sad and corrupt parties they’re being sold things will continue to get worse. By the way, voter suppresion is happening on both sides, it’s hardly an evil right wing conspiricy.
Josh, I love you, but this is just a selfish cop-out, I’m sorry. What will make things worse is if we wind up with the religious right taking away our freedoms by imposing legislation that cannot being undone. We cannot wait until some imaginary future date when the political system in this country is perfect. We have to be grown-ups and act RIGHT NOW.
Since you’re not exercising your right to vote, I sincerely hope you’re spending lots of time campaigning for the third-party candidates you do support, and that you’re putting everything you have into participating in non-partisan community action groups. Otherwise, you’re just waiting for something that’s never going to happen.
Josh,
Check your assumptions. Then read this. http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/11/why-vote-the-marketing-dynamics-of-apathy.html
Now go vote.
YES.
That Doug Wright quote is so on-point… We are crossing our fingers up here in Canada for Obama!
I can’t begin to explain all of the wonderful, amazing, real things that Barack Obama has done for me personally as a recent graduate, woman, and human being. I will never forget dancing in Union Square after his win was announced. I’ve never been more proud to be American (and know that I mean it because I find that terribly embarrassing to say!) I can’t wait to tell my children that story.
All that being said, I’m so exhausted of being bombarded with idiotic and hateful headlines every day. I can’t wait for this to be over! Forward!
Good luck, America! I’ll be up here in Canada biting my nails all day tomorrow.
Wishing for the best for my American friends tomorrow, that everyone who is eligible to vote is physically able to vote. I can’t vote for Obama but I hope he wins. Equality means so much to me. I always said I’d never get married until we could ALL get married. Happily, same sex marriage is legal in my country and I can now in good conscience start planning my own:)
I recall your endorsement for Barack Obama four years ago and I applaud your continued support. No, he did not meet the high objectives he set forth for himself and country in his first campaign, but he was also met with undeniable obstructionism from the members of Congress who wanted nothing more than to see him fail.
So I am voting to protect my daughters’ rights to make their own reproductive health decisions, I am voting so that my friends may have the same rights as myself in regard to whom they have fallen in love with and want to build a future with, I am voting to protect the failing middle class and I am voting for a man whom I think can best lead us in this crazy world. Barack Obama.
Although we are Canadian, we’re currently studying the American election in social studies. Tomorrow, we’re doing our own little vote based on our study of the platforms of both candidates. I’m so voting for Obama. Romney seems to be very, very bad at basic math.
Bravo!! This post (as well as Daniel’s) makes my heart completely swell with pride and helps illustrate why I consider myself a bleeding heart liberal. I’ve been saying that my vote for Obama is all about equality. The fact that some of this election cycle’s topics are even a point of discussion is mind boggling to me.
Thanks for speaking so eloquently about the choice we have in this election!
The eyes of the rest of the world are watching. Go out there and make us proud!
Barb from Australia.
Hi Anna! Thanks for posting this and I will go to Daniel’s blog to read the whole post. It took me so long to write a political post because the bipartisan meanness has me in so much pain. I am absolutely astonished that friends of mine who I thought were intelligent (and who have suffered through poverty and illness) are voting for Romney. The choice seems so simple to me. I started to write an expose of Romney’s lies and flip flopping and I had tons of video news clips to back up my assertions, but I was simply too passionate about it. I ended up writing about compassion and doing the right thing. And I believe from the depth of my soul that voting for Obama is the right thing. I’d be so honored if you had a moment to look at what I wrote. I know it’s kinda of rambling.
http://creativeinfluences.blogspot.com/2012/11/it-breaks-my-heart.html
Thank you! Peggy
P.S. I am so glad you, your furry children and your husband are safe! I prayed for you! xo
Peggy, thank you for linking to your post…and thank you for writing it! As someone with a serious “pre-existing condition” that will most likely require very expensive treatment in future years, I worry a lot about how I would ever pay for medical care if I were temporarily unemployed. It’s hard to talk about, and I’m thankful for people like you who aren’t afraid to share their own experiences with a health care system that is so deeply flawed.
Thank you for sharing your, always well though out, thoughts. I did not know of your illness. Would you ever considering coming to Sweden for treatment. My mother is also Swedish but I grew up in the U.S., I moved here 6 years ago (after Bush won his 2nd term) and although the health care here is not perfect it is free (for the most part). I had tons of paper work to fill out when I moved here but since my mom was a citizen by birth it really wasn’t that difficult. I do miss California though and I do try to go back often. But, I have a good, creative and healthy life here. Go Obama. I voted via Overseas voting 4 weeks ago!
Anna, I am a long-time reader but I have never commented here before. I wanted to thank you for posting this. So many people who write blogs and are involved in social media are afraid to make their beliefs clear because they are afraid of losing readership. I applaud you for being courageous enough to share this with us. You and Daniel speak so eloquently about the choice at hand today. I can only hope the rest of the country stands with us to make the only sensible decision: forward.
In solidarity in Michigan,
Sara
I will be watching the news to-day. The US election has such a great impact on the rest of the world too and the thought that Romney could win is unbearable
I watched a documentary about him the other day and I was shocked at the possibiliy that such a man could be elected president.
For me the right to vote is not just a privilege or a ‘gift’ – it is also an obligation – an act you do to pay back to the society and your ancestors, who worked so hard for democracy in your country years ago. Using your right to vote is so important – so GO VOTE!
Heading out in a few hours with my sister! Obama for the win! I feel with all my election anxiety I am hardly capable of even forming a reasonable sentence at this point, let alone so eloquent an argument for Obama. I seriously can’t fathom why anyone who isn’t white, super rich and evil would vote for Mittens (yeah I went there).
Fingers crossed! I hope we are celebrating on your blog tomorrow!
As a recent immigrant (thus not allowed to vote) and a woman, and from a socialist country at that, I am frankly terrified at the state of politics in the US. If I were allowed to vote, I would vote for Obama because I cannot in my wildest dream imagine a world in which oppression of a specific transect of the population is OK. I honestly and truthfully cannot understand how so many people, in the year of our lord 2012, think that Mitt Romney is an acceptable choice to lead the most powerful nation on Earth. I also cannot understand how Obama can be accused of socialism simply for wanting to make sure that basic human rights – per the Hauge convention!!! – are met in all levels of society. (Does general America even know what socialism is? Or what a socialist wellfare state looks like? If not, they’re welcome to visit Scandinavia where healthcare and education is free, like it SHOULD be.)
I cannot vote but I can canvass, and the badge on my bag says Obama. Thank you, Americans, for voting for the one candidate whose platform and party do not entirely erase the American Dream, which is something very real for many of us immigrants.
Thank you (and Daniel) for your eloquent post and comment replies. My husband and I mailed our absentee ballots weeks ago and will be following the coverage into the night. I am hopeful, but equally full of anxiety. HOPE must win.
I just posted your blog entry to my facebook page. Eloquently put! I am a Canadian living inthe US forthe past 13 years. I cannot vote. I am fearful for the country if Obama loses.
BRAVO Daniel!!! This is exactly what I have been saying!… This election is more than just voting to get a bigger tax refund and high unemployment and the bad economy, which I do think they are important but it is not that President Obama’s administration has ignored those issues, they are being worked on… There is so much more at risk. This election to me is about everything Daniel has just said on his post.
Good morning from Northern Virginia!! There is a vibe in the air! Everyone here is excited today! I am very hopeful that OBAMA will win this election. The polls open this morning at 6:00 am in Arlington, VA and I was on line at 5:00 am. Voter #12 to be exact. This is a great day to be an American!! Get out & excercise your right to VOTE! No matter who your candidate is – VOTE. It is your civic duty as an American.
Thank you for your post today, Anna & thank you for your wise words, Daniel! Be safe & warm!!
To Anna and Daniel:
You shall no longer take things at second or third hand…. nor look through the eyes of the dead…. nor feed on the spectres in books,
You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself.”
― Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass: The First (1855) Edition
Two years ago, Walt Whitman changed my life. I’m an English major, I’m 27, and I’m from an extremely conservative background. Four years ago, I did not vote for Barack Obama. I even voted for Proposition 8 in CA, which I am not proud of. But I changed. Reading the works of Whitman and others made me realize how narrow my own experience was. My Christian high school didn’t teach Walt Whitman in classes because he was “immoral.” But how can we hope for a future if we reject brilliant work merely because someone does’t follow our religion in their personal life? I’m not sure where I stand with religion now, but the principles I learned from my faith, such as compassion, caring for the poor, and unconditional love are certainly not what I see being modeled by most “conservatives.” Today I voted for three Democrats. And because literature has changed my life in so many ways, I’m working towards a master’s and a phd in American Lit so that hopefully I can help others find a more open minded view of the world. So maybe Obama’s slogans are right. There is hope, and there is change. I hope that encourages you both,
What an inspiring, honest post.
“But how can we hope for a future if we reject brilliant work merely because someone does’t follow our religion in their personal life? ”
Agreed…
Excellent! Thank you and way to go! I know where you’re coming from. I voted this morning, too. HOPE!
That does encourage me, Michelle! Thank you.
Amazing how Repuglicans want to blame Obama for spending… when we had to endure 8 years of Dubyah borrowing money from the Chinese to pour Hundreds of Billions into a bomb crater called Iraq, and Romney want to cut the budget to do more of the same..insane.
Please Win Obama
If Obama loses, I am at a loss of what to do. In 2008, there was so much enthusiasm behind Obama- and the Republican party platform was extreme, but not to the extent it is now. The election was important, but this one seems dire. We are all terrified.
It’s getting harder to look at pro-Romney people I know and understand them. I want to cry when I look at people in my generation who are anti-choice, anti-gay marriage, anti-social services, anti-student loans. How incredibly selfish do you be in order to think that because you have yours, other people don’t deserve something too? The mantra of “I respect your opinion even though I disagree,” is wearing thin. Respect is lost when reason is lost. It is dangerous to allow the Right to think their ideas are respectable – it legitimizes their ideas, brings them onto the same playing field as real ideas.
You may already know about this article in Harper’s, How To Rig an Election. I’ll include the link at the end of the comment. It’s about how we are systematically losing our paper trail, and the injustices that already been committed via the electronic voting machines. It examines this from many angles – lawsuits, whistleblower, statistics, policies. One aspect it focuses on is that companies that own the electronic voting machines often put unregulated software patches on the machines without any oversight. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, it has been found in the last 3 days that exactly this has happened in Ohio in 39 counties – and these machines will “count” roughly 4 million votes. I’ll also include a link where this is talked about. The Harper’s piece is both the most alarming and important piece I have read in a very long time.
http://harpers.org/archive/2012/11/how-to-rig-an-election/
http://www.salon.com/2012/11/05/ohio_republicans_sneak_risky_software_onto_voting_machines/
Go Anna & Daniel!
Another long-time reader and seldom commenter but had to quick voice my support for both of you (& Obama!) today.
Mittens Romney doesn’t stand a chance! We all have to stand positive and make our voices heard.
Thank you so much for this eloquent post, Anna. There is something wrong with Daniel’s website – it keeps crashing and says “The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because it uses an invalid or unsupported form of compression.”
For people who feel like they don’t know enough to make a decision in this election, here is all you need to know about Romney to determine his character (google any of these points and you can learn about him):
-In high school he bullied a gay student, then cut off his hair
-Dodged the Vietnam draft 3 times, then protested in favor of the war
-Tied his family dog to the roof of his car during a family vacation
-Ran a Senate campaign in the 90’s demanding financial disclosure from Ted Kennedy
-Refused to release more than 2 years of his tax returns despite the fact his father is the one who set the precedent for such a gesture and demanded Kennedy release more than that during their Senate campaign
-Showed 23 years worth of tax returns to McCain, then McCain picked Sarah Palin
-Has flip-flopped on nearly every major issue
-Said publicly he’s not concerned about 47% of Americans because they’ll never take personal responsibility for themselves
-Fabricated a complete lie in Ohio about automotive jobs being outsourced even though every fact checker and news agency said this was 100% untrue
-His tax plan is built to benefit people like himself and would essentially eliminate him from paying any income taxes at all
These aren’t subjective statements or political rhetoric, these are all 100% verifiable facts. This isn’t a man who’s had a bad year, or just a few missteps, this behavior is chronic… displayed throughout his entire lifetime from a high school student to campaign ads that are currently running.
And it tells you almost all you need to know about the character of Mitt Romney.
Also here is info on Obama on the jobs front:
http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/18/news/economy/obama-bush-jobs/index.html
Thank you for such a lovely post! We can do this!
obama.biden 2012
anna – good for you.
i haven’t checked in at your blog for quite some time, and i just wanted to say thank you. i had emailed 2 bloggers that i do follow daily, about the election, pleading with them to use their massive rech to endorse obama and help people understand the gravity of this election. both bloggers had quietly voiced their support in a couple of small tweets – but i wanted more from them. this country and their base needed more from them. THIS IS WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO. THIS IS WHAT WAS NEEDED.
Thank you for speaking the truth and speaking out — there are so many people, women especially and even friends of mine, who wake up on election morning and ask their husband who they should vote for. that fact makes me ill. if anyone was swayed or motivated or encouraged or informed by your thoughts — i just want to say way to go and thank you so much. thank you for not worrying about fans or followers and thank you for educating yourself.
this was a monumental election and i honestly cannot wrap my head around how it could have gone the other way. i am continually blown away by the other side – and i appreciate you using your voice and your reach to support obama and the necessary choices that belong in this century.
well done. bravo. you did an amazing thing.
xoxo
kelly