Voting on the issues, not race or gender

In only my second presidential election, I am honored to participate in an election that will make history. On January 20th, 2009, either the first black president or the first female vice president will be in office. As a black female, I may have the toughest decision among voters. Do I pick Barack Obama because he is black or do I pick John McCain because he has a woman, Sarah Palin as his running mate? As a politically and culturally educated individual I know better than to base my vote on those factors alone. I can not act as if I will not reap some sort of validation from having either presidential candidate in office. How many women besides me will walk into job interviews with a sense of confidence courtesy of Sarah Palin if she wins? How many Blacks in America besides me will envision Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., finally resting in peace? These are not the thoughts I should have in my head on November the 4th, right? I should be thinking about who is going to help me gain affordable health care or who is going to help continue or end the war in Iraq. I should be contemplating whose track record adds up with their convention speeches. And that is exactly what I am going to do.

Looking back on the 2004 election when I was a first time voter, there was no question as to who to vote for. Like millions of Americans, I was tired of George W. Bush and his administration. I voted for Senator John Kerry who seemed to be the savior for America at that time. How that man did not win I may never know.

When Hurricane Katrina passed, images of helpless victims who our government failed were stuck in my mind. I wondered about the man who ran to the aid of people millions of miles away in Iraq but could not offer adequate assistance to his own citizens.
It’s interesting to have seen these last couple of elections come so close, yet today, Bush’s popularity ratings show he should have lost by a landslide. But that’s another issue in itself. This election I can not wait to press that button that says ‘Barack Obama, ‘and I am not going to do it because he is black but because he is the candidate that shares my values.

As a woman I could never fathom voting for a woman who is anti-abortion even in the case of rape or incest. I have never been pregnant, and I can not honestly say what I would do if it happened, however, the right to an abortion is a right I cherish. I’ll cast my vote on behalf of the unfortunate woman, who will have to make the decision between saving her life or giving birth to her baby.

I have made my decision based on the utilitarian aspect that has been forgotten in society. We have to consider what is best for the majority and not just for ourselves. As an African-American who is proud of the civil rights leaders of the past and present, I can not vote for a man like John McCain who voted against making the Martin Luther King Jr. day a legally recognized holiday.

In a society where one can often feel like just a number, we have to take advantage of the one opportunity we have to make a difference. It is up to us to choose our leaders. We have to fight for our rights. On Aug. 26, 1920 women were granted the right to vote. On Aug. 6, 1965 blacks were granted the right to vote. On November 4, 2008, I will exercise my right to vote. Support your cause.