Been Thinking About: Voting...

Always do your research. Vote the person’s policies, not their personality. The parties themselves are living, breathing beings that change with time, just as any human does.

My, how small the world becomes as you grow older.

My husband and I became parents. 9/11 happened in the eighth month of my first pregnancy. Our brothers and sisters went to war. I started paying attention.

As a mom wanting the best for her kids, wanting to keep them safe, I have tried to teach my girls how important it is to pay attention to their surroundings. You know the phrases: “go in pairs”, “look under the car and in the backseat before getting in”, “don’t forget your pepper spray”, “text me when you get there”, “text me when you leave”, etc.

Adding to this, I say “do your research”, “vote vote vote”, and “policies over personality”.

Every election season I visit the county website and download the sample ballot. I spend hours—sometimes days—researching every name on that ballot. It’s become my own ‘policy’ to never vote down party lines.

Always do your research. Vote the person’s policies, not their personality. Who cares if they’re nice or not. Do they have integrity? Do they get the job done? Do they talk about I, I, I, or we, we, we? Do they hold the best interests of all the people, or just their specialty group?

It’s especially important to note that even political parties change over the years. Your grandparents’ party, your parents’ party is NOT the same party it used to be. This goes for Democrats as well as Republicans. The parties themselves are living, breathing beings that change with time, just as any human does.

Wake up.

Look closely.

Don’t listen to the “news” outlets.

Do your own research.

Make up YOUR OWN mind.

And don’t let your VOICE—your VOTE—go to waste.

That privilege of voting was desperately fought for… for YOU to be heard.

Please. Don’t squander it.