Vote

Hey folks. Just a quick reminder to the internet void, if you live in the United States, make sure you go out and vote on November 4th.

I will never forget, my 4th grade baseball coach (and subsequent middle school principal) told our team one day that as soon as we turned 18, we had to register to vote. It's a civic duty that far too many people brush off. Millions of our countrymen and women have died supporting rights like these, and it would be shameful to repudiate their sacrifice and our own democratic heritage so tastelessly.

The fact of the matter remains that this election is important. Probably an understatement. And we're all sick of the campaigning and all the TV ads, yada, yada, yada. It will be over on Wednesday, but the choice we make will have repercussions far beyond. Our own national interest is at stake, that's true. We have a lot of problems that need fixing, from the economy to education. But, even though we may scoff at it, the international interest is at stake as well. The US remains the world's foremost power, and whether we realize it or not, our actions have massive effects on the world community. And frankly, I'm tired of having to add the caveat to foreign persons that no, not all Americans are like George W. Bush.

I believe that our nation needs transformational change. That doesn't necessarily mean that we radically alter all of our policies or whatever. It doesn't mean instant Scandinavian style social democracy, or anything like that. But it does mean that we need to project a substantially different version of ourselves to the rest of the world. We need to show that we are still the America that people used to idealize, that people trusted. No more of this cowboy mentality, let's embrace the opportunity to coordinate and cooperate. Let's live up to our best version of ourselves.

A new America needs a new leader. It needs one who represents the best in all of us, it needs one who has the ability to adapt to a changing world. John F. Kennedy once said that the torch had been passed to a new generation of Americans. That's what we need now, a new generation, a new face for a new age. We cannot base our politics and our national discourse on pettiness and cultural warfare when there are so many challenges to face. That's what I'll vote for.

But even if you don't share my views, make sure you go out and vote. It's something we take too lightly, the privilege of living in a country where we have a say.

Plus, Starbucks will give you a free cup of coffee.