Rosaleen Perry

Could not sleep last night. I woke up thinking about how this should have been Jaime's first time as a voter. I woke up thinking about what I lost because of failed policy for far too many years. I can say with certainty that Jaime would have loved voting for @KamalaHarris. The photo below is of our next President standing at the memorial at the school where Jaime was murdered and looking at Jaime's photo. Today I am hoping that this country turns out to vote for Jaime, and all victims of gun violence, and the chance to do more to prevent future gun violence so that other young people are free from gun violence and get to grow up to become first time voters. I am hoping that this country turns out and votes for those already injured by the draconian abortion laws and the chance to do more to protect health care and bodily autonomy for women. I am hoping that this country turns out in reaction to climate change and the epic disasters that we are now seeing and the hope to do more to reflect that reality that climate change is real. I am hoping that this country turns out to protect voting rights already under attack and the chance to do more to protect our rights to vote in this incredible Democracy. I am hoping that this country turns out and votes to send a message loudly and clearly that we want decency, civility, and honest debate and to make clear that we have had enough of the indecency and "alternative facts" that have affected our political discourse for far too long. I am hoping that this country turns out and votes to make clear that our Democracy is still worth defending and something that American voters can proudly stand and deliver the anthem for, and the rest of the world can look up to. If you still have not voted, today is the day. Today is the day to vote for what you hope not to lose and also to vote for what you hope for in the future.