The other day I was urging someone I love very much to vote. At least to register and consider voting. "It's important," I told him, "It will effect our lives, it will effect my family's lives." And, literally I believe it will. As a first generation United States citizen, daughter of Iranian immigrants, I see the outcome of this election as life or death. In trying to convey to him the importance of what I felt and meant, he told me this, "If a government is messed up than they deserve what they get." This response was alarming to me. A government is corrupt, a government instigates other countries, fuels their fire with their rhetoric, but is that any reason to kill the people? Policy, politics, and power lead people to forget the value of human lives. Further into my conversation I was told that any vote that he would have made would be solely in self interest. Fair enough, we all must look out for our own well-being before worrying about that of others. We cannot shine for others if our own lives remain dull. Bearing that in mind, we must ask ourselves, what will make a better world for us, for our children. Each one of us with a little more money in our pockets and a war torn world? Or maybe, with a change of attitude, we can learn to respect other people for their differences. With a little patience, we can see rhetoric for what it really is. We can see the fear that one day all power will be lost driving people to extremes and maybe then we will share the wealth. It is fear that drives corruption, but we have to step down from our soap box as well and realize that while we think we know ourselves, we really know very little and while we think we stand on the side of good, we stand on the side of good for us. The United States is one of the most generous countries in the world. Generosity is only worthwhile if it grows hope and prosperity for all, for humankind, for all of us. Not just the people on "our" side. If this person, who I love very much were here right now, I would tell him, this is not our world, not yours and mine. We will leave here someday, and we must leave a legacy. In serving only ourselves the legacy we leave will do nothing for our world. The world breathes life into us, what are we going to give back to it? If that doesn't mean anything, I'll ask him in simpler terms, something closer to his heart. How good do you really think the economy will be in a time of war?
Marianne Williamson is quoted by some of the most respected people in the world saying, "As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same." Let's go then and create a brighter world.
