It’s Time to Choose Our Future
I have always considered myself pretty lucky to be a Xennial. I grew up in the 80’s, enjoying a relatively safe and secure time in the world. I saw the Berlin Wall come down, and families and countries reunited. Although I would learn about it later, I was only a child during the height of the AIDS crisis, and relatively shielded from this scary and heartbreaking era. Ollie North meant nothing to me, and Nancy Reagan told me to “Just Say No” to the crack epidemic.
Then came the 90s. Even though the U.S. was engaged in the Gulf War, a wave of patriotism and support for our troops swept the country. I wasn’t really afraid, because by and large we seemed to stand tall together. As this decade marched on, I began to realize I was different. But the great thing was this was the “Gay” 90s. I saw lots of positive role models and TV shows emerge with gay characters. Ellen , and Roseanne and Will & Grace said it was ok to be who you are. This made coming out in college relatively easy for me. And I have to thank all those who came before me who suffered discrimination, violence, and even death to fight for our rights. Because of these heroes, I wasn’t afraid to be me.
When the 2000’s hit, I was ready to work and somehow survived the Dot.com Boom and Bust. But then on 9/11/01, possibly one of the most terrorizing moments I had experienced as an American occurred. This tragedy still seems surreal and impossible today. Yet we got through this because again, the country united and came together to support one another. And after a series of tumultuous economic crises ensured, like the recession, government bailouts and mortgage crisis, I was grateful and fortunate to come out of this period without any financial hardships.
By now, America was ready for change. My hope grew as our country, whose history saw too many dark moments of discrimination and racism, elected the first African-American president. Life got better. The LGTBQ community, of which I am a proud member, saw new rights and equal protection under the law. Healthcare was made available to all. This was the America in which I believe, the place where I wanted to live. And as fast as it came, it now is disappearing even faster.
And for the first time in my life, I am truly scared of what is happening to our country, and live in fear of what our future holds. I have survived rape, depression and a Meth addiction; as horrific as these events were, I find myself event more scared that Hate is thriving right now. There are those in power claiming to be patriotic Americans, yet they believe in taking rights away from citizens. They preach and praise hate, intolerance and violence towards others. They tell bold-faced lies. They seek to divide us and manipulate our emotions, counting on us to ignore their corrupt and criminal behavior. They want to hurt the people I love, and do so with a smile. And, they don’t want you to vote.
I see two Americas when I close my eyes. In one vision, I see an America that is forgiving and compassionate, but that fights against Hate with every last ounce of her strength. And in the second vision, I see a barren wasteland where we failed to act, failed to make a change. What future do you choose? I believe in humanity, so I will vote my conscience on November 6th.
Please help us choose the right future. Vote and make your voice heard.
Dave Woemmel
