As a voter, my disappointment has usually occurred for one of two reasons:
1.) my selected candidate was defeated or
2.) my selected candidate did not keep the promises they made on the campaign trail
Both of those disappointments sting. They both have caused me to wonder if there really is a point in voting. Why go to all of that trouble of investing in a person's platform if nothing is going to change anyway?
Does my vote really count? I have asked myself that question several times. I vote because I promised my grandmother when I was seventeen years old that for every opportunity given to me I would exercise my right to cast my vote. Hearing her stories of the deep south when segregation and Jim Crow laws were blatant and specific against people of color, I vowed to make my voice heard. No one has ever asked me, "how many bubbles are in a bar of soap?" If I don't vote I don't have a voice and it cannot count.
They asked Grandma. The bottom line is that they denied her the right to vote because she was black.
In 1992 I registered to vote with no problems. I was still in high school and my first election was for President Bill Clinton. I still remember following the campaign, feeling disappointment at his impeachment but still supporting him because he cared about what was important to me, my family and my community. As an adult, the voting attendants know me by name because I am a regular. I walk into my voting location and call my grandmother every time because she is physically unable to cast her vote now. Thank God for absentee ballots.
We are taught that when we vote, we can make sure that people in power, those who make decisions regarding our community match what we believe. We have to vote not only in the Presidential elections but in every election we are able. Some people slide into victory because the community does not know the issues or may not come together to vote them out of office. This process of voting means making informed and intentional decisions. This is why I take voting seriously.
I cannot imagine the disenchantment and frustration that an entire group of voters must feel in McKeesport, PA. Members of this community came together and voted in to their city council a representative that they felt would represent them and their concerns. The voters knew of Corry Sander's past, but they believe in second chances. The law (our Constitution) and the city of McKeesport do not appear to have the same sentiment.
What is a man to do? How can you prove rehabilitation if no one gives you a second chance?
I have the honor of knowing Mr. Sanders. He is a quiet man who serves his family, his church, his community, and his God with purpose. He is a man of integrity who is trying to right some of the wrongs he committed when he was young. We all seem to want a second chance but we don't allow other people the same grace when they in our eyes do not measure up to the standard we set. Is this another example of "how many bubbles in a bar of soap?," or is this able to be repaired?
Make your own choice, but do your research first. Don't jump on a bandwagon without making an informed decision. Measure a man by his character and not his past. Think about your hope for a second chance before you deny someone the opportunity to walk in theirs.
#YesJanuary I support Corry Sanders,
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