2016 has not been a good year, but it will be one of the most telling for my generation. It's been the year of bad news getting worse, and even then, all these events polarize the people. Mass shootings are sadly becoming commonplace and empathy is transforming to feelings of helplessness and anger swarming the internet. It's the feeling of helplessness that is driving one of the most bizarre elections to ever occur.
Let me be clear. I am a Canadian citizen born and raised in the proudly peaceful nation, however I also own four "Obama for President" t-shirts and a newly minted 'I'm with Her' Hillary for Prez tee. I strongly believe that the US Presidential election has global implications at every moment in the campaign and that it's my right and duty to exercise my political voice.
So when the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, took the stage of the DNC yesterday her words were ready to be heard - especially after the debacle of the RNC. Instead of preying on the fear of the nation, Obama focused her speech around two people. No, not Clinton and Trump, but Sasha and Malia Obama. Sharing with us her fears of raising children in the public eye under of constant scrutiny that "could truly make or break them." And not just talking about them as her children, but as two "poised young women" whose futures will be shaped by the outcome of this election.
"That is what Barack and I think about every day as he tried to guide and protect our girls from the challenges of this unusual life in the spotlight. How we urged them to ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith. How we insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. How we explain that when someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don't stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high," Obama said, referring to the values they instilled in her daughters.
"In this election, and every election, it is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of their lives. I am you tonight because in this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility, only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States, and that is our friend Hillary Clinton." And I know even as I write this that I am priming myself for the horrible slander of the internet, the "It doesn't matter what she thinks she's just a Canadian," or the "this is just more left-wing propaganda," or worse, derogatory remarks that target my person rather than my beliefs. But hear me out.
This election is an opportunity for a highly qualified candidate to take office, and thus help to shape my future; to keep the borders safe and open so thoughts and ideas can be shared freely. This is the opportunity to see someone like myself, someone who cares about my generation, to hold one of the powerful jobs in the world, to realize that the glass ceilings are breaking and that equality is in our reach. As Michelle Obama said, "because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all of our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States."
We're over the halfway mark of 2016. I don't want to see anymore #PrayFor(fill in the blank) trending worldwide. I don't want to see my facebook 'friends' putting filters over their profile pictures as a sign of solidarity. Instead I'm asking - nay begging - to heed the words of the first lady. "In this election, we cannot sit back and hope that everything works out for the best, we cannot afford to be tired or frustrated or cynical. Hear me: Between now and November, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. We need to knock on every door, we need to get out every vote, we need to pour every last ounce of passion into electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America. Let's get to work."