There is just too much at stake.
So much to lose, but so much to win.
I’ve been engaged in politics now for over a decade.
I’ve volunteered for my share of candidates and helped win some major victories.
But despite all this, I still struggle with whether my vote really does make a difference.
I still struggle with explaining why this time will be different than the last time.
But at the end of the day, I know that I have to ask myself, “What am I doing to make this country greater?”
Am I just blaming someone else for our challenges, or am I actually doing something about it?
So although voting is not the end all be all, it’s an important step in standing up for the values that I believe in.
It’s an important tool that I can use to hold my legislators accountable and to share my vision for the world.
In California, my vote will help raise money for our schools, parks, and social services, end the death penalty and protect workers rights.
Nationally, I want to make sure that I help elect a person who has the best interests of every person living in America.
For me, this election is about ensuring that my daughter has access to college and that my parents have healthcare as they grow older.
It’s about ensuring that I have a good job and that someday I could afford to buy the house that my wife and I have always dreamed of.
You see, this election will set the direction of our country for the next hundred years.
It will decide what we do about global warming and whether we continue to allow women to decide what’s best for their own bodies.
It will decide whether young people have social security and whether jobs are created for the millions of Americans unemployed.
I know who I am voting for this November and I implore you to become educated on the candidates, the issues, and the reasons why it’s so imperative that every person cast a ballot.
So vote your heart this November.
Vote your conscience.
And remember that your vote does make a difference.
Mike de la Rocha is an LA-based musician, writer and co-founder of shopsharelove.com. To find out more about Mike visit mikedelarocha.com and follow him on Twitter at @mrmikedelarocha.
