There has never been a more important time for Americans to pay attention to politics. We have a national debt in the trillions. Muslim extremism is gaining influence around the world, even here at home. We must co-exist with rogue nations such as Iran and North Korea, and we have rocky relationships with Israel and China, countries crucial to our success. Each and every American needs to carefully consider and question the facts, ignore political propaganda on t.v. and Facebook, weigh his or her own priorities and values, and make an informed decision about who is better suited to serve our great nation and grapple in a bi-partisan way with its many complex challenges.
For me, deciding who will earn my vote was a long, arduous process which involved a lot of soul-searching and countless hours of listening to a wide variety of news programs, including NPR, C-SPAN, MSNBC, CNN, BBC, and FOX, as well as listening to much of the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. At last, I have made my decision. It was not based on the economy or national security; rather, I based my decision on a more insidious problem, a long-overdue injustice which needs to be righted: equal rights for American citizens.
Make no mistake, I strongly believe that the United States is a wonderful country, and I am extremely grateful to be an American: I have an abundance of food to eat. I live in safety and comfort. I have excellent health care. I have a very good education which has afforded me a good career with benefits and a pension. Not to mention, I have a loving and supportive family. However, I don't believe that our country provides all its citizens with equal opportunities for food, shelter, education, health care, and prosperity. Though I undoubtably worked hard for what I have, I was also born into circumstances which supported my pursuit. Not all people are so fortunate.
I believe that all men, women, and children are created equally, and as Americans, we deserve certain freedoms, irrespective of their socioeconomic station, geographical location, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Far too many of our citizens do not recieve the basic necessities and opportunities with which to develop and use their inner gifts and talents in order to be successful and prosper.
It is late 2012 and much inequality still exists. Despite 2008 legislation, women still make 78% of what a man does for the same work. Children in suburban regions receive a far superior education to their urban and rural counterparts with unequal access to schools that are safe, adequate and relevant books and supplies, and technologies which are crucial to their - our - success as a nation in a 21st century world. Minimum wage is not a living wage. A few thousand have an exorbitant amount of wealth while millions are in poverty and without adequate health services. I believe these extreme imbalances among our own people are an intolerable injustice.
Though our country faces many important problems, and all of them deserve careful attention, for me, it is these imbalances in our own backyard which need immediate addressing and which determined my vote for the 2012 election. I urge everyone of voting age to go through a similar rigorous process of considering one's values and beliefs, along with stringent fact-searching and questioning of a wide-variety of sources, to make a responsible decision. Our great nation and its citizens deserve that, at least.