OPINION: Why I voted for Barack Obama

Supporters of President Obama at his most recent rally on Mason's Fairfax campus. (Photo courtesy of Dakota Cunningham).

On Election Day, I voted for President Barack Obama. I believe that this man genuinely has the interest of every American at heart. This has been one of the most important elections to take place in our nation’s history. If Mitt Romney had won, our future would certainly be a hell of a lot different. I have imagined my future many times, and not once did I ever picture that, one day, I may not have the right to choose what is right for my body, that my friends may not have the right to marry the one they love, that those stuck and living in poverty would be blamed and penalized for not having the same opportunities as those who are not and I most certainly never imagined that there could be an actual possibility of having a president that backed a man who eventually claimed that pregnancy by rape is “what God intended.”

I never dreamed that I would have to fear that my rights, the rights of so many others and the rights of future generations would be taken away, and so quickly. However, I can tell you that I have envisioned a country where people are not turned away from healthcare because of a pre-existing condition, a country where women have the right to choose what happens to their body, a country where Pell Grants are not slashed, a country where equality is palpable in all regards and a country where people are given the opportunities to make their lives and the lives of their children better, all because they had a president who believed they could do so. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather live in a world like that.

Our votes matter more than you know. I understand the economy is a very important issue, but please remember that, while you are worried about your take-home pay, there are people fighting for their fundamental civil rights, things that many of us are so lucky to have without question. We haven’t advanced this far to take a giant leap backwards. Election Day marked the beginning of a different world. I am damn proud of the decision I made, and I know that my vote has not hindered the progress of a nation; it has only moved it forward. 

Opinions expressed in this column are solely the beliefs of the writer. 

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