My Vote is For Empathy

I went downtown today to vote early, and I brought my 16-year-old son with me. There is something about voting that is meaningful and emotional to me, and probably based on knowing that if I were born a century ago, then it wouldn’t even be legal for me to vote. It is a gesture of supporting democracy, and it is an important right to me.

This is not the first time that I brought one of my children with me to vote, and I hope it is teaching them that it is a right that is to be fought for and cherished. But, to be honest, this year feels different to me, and I suspect that I am not alone in that feeling.

Truth to be told, I am a registered Independent. I remember checking that box when I was 18 years old and registered to vote, feeling smart and sophisticated. No party had earned my allegiance, and there were great people in my life who had shaped me that were both Democrats and Republicans. I would decide based on the issues at hand as to whom would earn my vote.

My voting history will reflect that mentality. I certainly have voted with fiscal conservatism as the heart of the issue, and it felt like the most important one to me at the time.

But today is different. My privilege at even having tax structure as an issue is no longer important to me. Compared to many, we lead a life of tremendous privilege, and I can’t abide by the social injustices that – to me – are glaringly awful under our current leadership.

I have written before about my experiences with sexism, and I will be damned if my children think that it is ok to experience anything like that in the future. I am learning from my children a better way to see the world, and I love that. To them, if you are a decent person then great. If you are a jerk, then they want nothing to do with you. But otherwise – the rest of it – gender, race, sexual orientation, politics, etc. – doesn’t really matter.

Today, I voted as if:

My skin was not white

My child is transgender

My home does not have access to clean water

My brother died of gun violence

My cousin is gay

My parents don’t have medical insurance

My spouse is an immigrant

My home and land were destroyed by fire

Because – this year more than ever – my privilege has no place in how I vote.

But empathy does.