2000, Miami Beach: The Right to Vote

As I cleaned out my wallet today of all the odds and ends that collect in there, I came across my voter registration card. I wondered momentarily why it was in my wallet, and recalled that I left it in there intentionally several weeks ago, in case a re-vote was necessary in Florida. That was a very real possibility a few weeks ago, as the Gore-Bush election was too close to call, and there were many discrepancies and lawsuits involved with the whole election. As I write this, the nation still does not know who the next president will be, but I got very excited as I withdrew the card from the wallet, intending to file it again in my “important papers” file. What a great privilege to an American; not a right – a privilege. I wonder how many Americans are thankful for that often enough. We take democracy so seriously that we are willing, in a nation of about 270 million people, to ensure that every vote counts. Magnificent. I was nearly jumping for joy. And my ESOL students were just as enthusiastic about it; what a time for them to visiting the U.S.(!). We had such interesting conversations about it in class, and they really felt like they were learning English, being able to participate in discussions about the state and future of the USA. And what a time to be an American: the Cold War is over, our country is the sole superpower on the planet, and we wield an influence never before seen on the planet. How seriously we must take this state of affairs. How grand are our responsibilities. How tremendous is the role we have the ability to play, for either good or bad, in this world. May we all realize and execute accordingly.