I must admit, at this point, I’m experiencing a bit of election fatigue. I’ve listened through three presidential debates, one debate of the candidates for vice president and countless hours of cable news pundits dissecting every single word uttered in said debates. I’ve easily read millions of words of editorial copy regarding the elections — local, statewide and national. Don’t forget all of the commercials and other paid advertisements touting one candidate or tearing down another.
With that said, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or to want to tune everything out. It’s easy to get caught up in conversations about personality, likeability or things that have nothing to do with what really matters.
But, when I’m ready to throw my hands up, I look at my screen saver and immediately everything is clear. I look at the faces of my daughters — my future — and I know my vote is about much more than me.
It’s about a country where they have access to the very best public education can offer. It’s about a nation where they have access to affordable health care — and where they can make decisions about their health care without fear of punishment. It’s about an America where they have the right to vote, free from intimidation.
My VOTE is about schools where my daughters can drink from a water fountain and not worry about getting sick, where the roads their school buses travel on five days a week are safe. It’s about a guarantee of equal pay for equal work.
And it’s about a country where, once they’ve put in years of working, the earned benefits they were promised are available for them.
When you cast your ballot today — and I urge you all to VOTE — think about what’s important to your family, your neighborhood, your community, our state and our country.
If you need a few more reasons, NYSUT shares the top 8 reasons to VOTE today:
8. Your constitutional rights depend on it.
7. Public education for all depends on it.
6. Safe bridges, roads and public water depend on it.
5. An economy that works for everyone depends on it.
4. Your labor rights depend on it.
3. Your retirement security depends on it.
2. Your right to make personal health care choices depends on it.
1. Your future depends on it.
In case you were wondering, NYSUT has endorsed a roster of Republicans and Democrats who share the union’s commitment to public education, health care, retirement security, the right to bargain collectively and a strong middle class.
For more information on union-endorsed candidates, check out NYSUT’s Voter Guide.
Clarisse Butler Banks is NYSUT United's copy desk chief. This piece was originally posted on the NYSUT blog at blogs.nysut.org.