I urge you to consider everything when you vote on December 19th. I grew up in a country of incredible freedoms and privileges. My white skin, male body, and American citizenship have permitted me access and provided me with securities that the global majority may never know or experience. I am not willing to let this election slide, not willing to throw up my hands and say, “well, that’s that.” This is not how I imagined America to look and behave in 2016. And, this is definitely not business as usual. I will not be complicit in the overturning and undoing of any future hopes we have in a truer democracy. For much too long, I have been overly appropriate in regards to the public expression of my consciousness. I refuse to be complaisant. Am I a citizen or an employee? Who do you work for?

 You have a very important decision to make, and it is certainly not one that I take lightly. If you pay close attention to a growing climate of corruption, oppression, and unrest rising across the globe, you will understand how crucial this moment is for all of us. You will understand that the election of the new President of the United States of America is not only about the lives and liberties of the American people. For better and for worse, our world is quite connected. A selection one way could have a rippling effect that stresses international diplomacies and global markets, that instigates animosities. Walled up & fenced in—what will the potential series of reactionary events look like in 2017?

I read recently that impact > intent. Do you intend to support the terrifying escalation of xenophobic, nationalist sentiments taking hold across our country and in Europe? Do you intend to vote in favor of one single issue without considering the delicate scaffolding of multiple, interdependent issues at stake in this election? What impact do you believe your vote has for current and future generations of Americans? How does your vote impact the world?

I suggest you think of this as a visionary intention: do you have a vision of the future? If so, is their liberty and justice for all?