Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Today

Today is my first presidential election as a U.S. citizen. Today I cast my vote without any reservations, without feeling that I have to pick the lesser of the two evils. Today I vote in a swing state, where my vote will matter.

Four years ago, almost to the day, I cast my vote for a person who I believed could transform my old country, my country of birth. That election turned into much more than just an election—it became a revolution, a peaceful revolution, one for the history books. The man I voted for was eventually named President. I still have a lot of respect for him, but it has become painfully obvious that one man, no matter how genuine and good, is powerless against a hundred years of corruption, brainwashing and fear-mongering. I believe there is a bright future for my country, but it is generations away.

I don’t want to be disappointed again. Not today, not tomorrow, not a year from now.

Today I can smell the change in the air.

4 comments:

Rachel said...

That is really cool. Congratulations on your first vote as an American citizen!

My youngest brother voted for the first time yesterday too. Even though he lives in a different state and was voting for a different candidate than me, I kept calling and texting him to see how it went. He was so excited, it was contagious. It is wonderful to be able to be a part of this process.

Anonymous said...

Okay, now you've really piqued my interest -- I'm very curious where you're originally from, as I've been operating on the assumption that you're American-born.

Lindsey said...

I wish I had good enough foreign government knowledge to guess where you are originally from. :)

Congratulations on your first vote. Though I've voted every occassion I could since I turned 18, I still feel excitement every time.

It is a good smell, isn't it?

Sarah said...

well you picked a great one to start with!!