One Nation

Hi there.

It’s that time of the decade again!

Election time. My first election time, I might add.

And I’ve recently come to accept that this is big deal.

As a first time voter, I have a few things to say about my experience, so here goes:

Voting matters. I used to think that my vote was essentially worthless because of, well I had my reasons. To name a few: the electoral college, I didn’t feel well enough informed, I’m not into politics, and so on.

But really, I decided that to be an American is to have the privilege and freedom to vote for whomever, and that’s an opportunity not many countries afford their citizens.

Another reason I decided it was important is that, even if I don’t love everything one candidate has to offer, if he stands for something I value as important, something that will affect those I love and more importantly those God loves (everyone!), then it’s worth tossing in my two cents. Just kidding; voting is free. But really.

Even so, I do have something negative to say about election time, and more than anything it’s an anti-political statement. I’ve seen so many Facebook statuses and Tweets in which people are called stupid, ignorant, and un-christian among other things, all because they choose to vote for a certain candidate. This is so frustrating to see.

Since when does our country benefit or accomplish anything by name-calling, belittling, insulting, and using derogatory language in reference to fellow citizens? The last time I checked, we are supposed to be one nation under God. Not self-righteous, elitist, better-than-thou-art bullies. At the end of the day, whether we are Republicans or Democrats, we are still one nation that needs to work together to achieve success and enforce unity. 

I realize that, as a whole, our country has somewhat shifted its stance on how Christianity and the State are meant to interact, but no matter what religion you claim (if any), it is our moral obligation as Americans to be conscious about how our free speech affects other people. Instead of wasting our breath on putting others down, we should use our words to encourage and uplift the people who work alongside us in efforts to continually make our country a better place.

Okay, so enough ranting. Overall, election time was a great experience, and I’m thankful for those around me who encouraged me to vote. One last thing to keep in mind:

No matter who wins the election, we should not lose hope in America and in people who work diligently for the sake of our country and its people. God tells us that His thoughts are higher than ours, so who are we to say whether or not the wrong or right person will have been elected?

Thanks for reading. America is still pretty awesome. I’m done.

May all be well.