Make America Great Again

If you know me in any format, you know that I am not very political.  I never share who I vote for but I have voted in every single election that I was eligible to vote in since the age of 18.  As an American, I believe it is not only a right and a responsibility but also a privilege.

Our President-elect ran on a platform of making America great again.  This morning there has been much discussion and "Monday Morning Quarterbacking" about yesterday's general election.  Tempers have flared, names have been called, feelings hurt, hopes crushed, bad behaviors displayed and a general feeling of disappointment throughout this election process in all party lines.

But that is not what I want to share.  I want to share that I am hopeful and excited even.  Why?  (Glad you asked!)

For many years, voter turnout has been low.  I breezed in and out of my polling place that was, at most, a 10 minute wait to vote because so few people were there.  The same was true for my husband and son - and we were all there at different times.  But this year, I had to wait almost 2 hrs. to cast my vote and I was ok with that.  The lines were there all day.  Some folks waited up to 3hrs. to vote. The point is not that there was a lack of scanners or incompetence or fraud.  The point is that they waited and waited and did so peacefully.

This thrilled me.  People are voting.  People once again, for whatever reason, believe that their vote matters and that they have a voice in our government and how it is run.  The apathy that has plagued American is waning.  And it wasn't just in my little corner of Maryland but all across America.  Voters turned out in record numbers.  I watched the TV moderators sharing the significant increase in state after state after state.

I also saw children, lots of children, coming to vote with their parents.  Children seeing their parents vote for the first time.  Children seeing democracy in action.  Again, so powerful.  We know that kids reflect what they see at home.  I have strong memories of stepping inside that curtained booth and watching my mother flick levers to vote.  I have beloved memories of doing the same with my own child.   Because I live and work in the same community, many of my students saw me voting yesterday as well.  (And they let me know it in the hallways today!)  The adults in the lives of these children sent a powerful message without ever saying a word.  They showed that this is important.  This is meaningful.  This is my privilege as an American and I value that.

We have a precious opportunity today and in the upcoming days, weeks, months and years.  We have the opportunity to build upon this momentum and keep engaging our students in the political process by making sure that they understand why our founding fathers chose a democracy for our country and making sure that they understand the importance of this and the role they play in it. 

We are grooming future adults who will be American citizens who will have the power to affect change with their vote or even by running for political office.

We have the opportunity to make America great again and it has nothing to do with Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton. It starts today with every educator, parent and adult reflecting civility, compromise and hope for the future of our country and our children.