When I started this series a month ago, I knew very clearly what I wanted my last message to be. Not one of anger or pessimism. Not some sickly sweet cliché (which I am usually a sucker for by the way) urging my audience to vote.
No.
Instead, in the least cliché way possible, I want to leave you all with one of hope. One final plea for us to come together and end the fighting.
That exact sentiment is why I chose to headline this column “The way forward” instead of the far more grim “The final chapter.”
Allow me to begin.
We have a history of tearing each other apart in this country. It creates a division like no other. Country splits between red and blue, families fragment under the pressure of differing viewpoints and everything you thought you knew about your friends, neighbors and co-workers comes into question the moment you find out who they voted for.
The moment the winning candidate is announced metaphorical challenge flags fly and insurrections are around the corner. However, it does not have to be this way. In fact, this time, I say we dare to be different.
No matter who is announced as the next president tonight, tomorrow or in the following days, we can choose to better this country ourselves. We do not need to turn to violence or fly into an outrage. We can choose to be calm, rational people and, no matter the decision, take our time to grieve or celebrate and ultimately move forward.
We are fortunate enough to live in a country where our government does not have full authority over our lives so regardless of who is elected and what their plan is for our country, true change should start with us.
We are empowered to go out and make the change we want. If we could finally stop relying on the government to be the ones to solve all our problems, we would not be so angry about the results of an election, trusting ourselves, our friends, neighbors and fellow citizens to lead us into a future beneficial to everyone and uniting us as a country.
No matter what happens tonight, I place my trust, not in any candidate, but in us, the people of America, to lead our nation to a new way forward. If I were to cast my vote today it would not be for any politician, but for us, America’s greatest hope.
Who is with me?
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