A Sense of Unity: Vote for It
Dad and I voted early. I was worried the line would be too long, and it would be hard for him to stand there for a long time. “Don’t worry. I play golf,” he said. And he reminded me, he had his walking stick.
If you follow me here, you know that we are just going to cancel each other’s vote. So, what is the point of getting off our arses to stand in the drizzle with our masks on? The point is that he fought for the right to vote. For me and all of us to vote. I respect that. And he respects my right to disagree with him on issues and candidates as I can't entirely agree with his views and candidate choices. Most important to me, I believe it is our responsibility to vote. To not be complacent. To not believe in “a sure thing.” To not believe others will take care of things for me.
As we stood in line, I looked around at the quiet, not quite solemn, folks standing patiently, nodding to one another sometimes in recognition, sometimes as a simple acknowledgment. I might have guessed who was voting for whom, but I did not even try. I did not care because, for the first time in quite some time, I saw unity. People exercising their right as Americans to vote. To make a statement. Different statements, maybe, but making those statements peacefully, with respect for one another (not a police officer in sight) while other citizens — trained and charged to do so — guided us efficiently and quickly through the process.
You know what? At least there, at that moment, it was beautiful.
