Young man, my vote is my voice, joined with voices of all in our country, to choose who will lead us forward. I vote for those who look out at a crowd and see a loud, messy, chaotic family, not “us and them” with hostility towards “the others”. I vote for leaders who have shown they care about and for the people they serve, and not those who seek only to get more for themselves. 

Just as you learn at school, and many hear in houses of worship or in their own meditations, we are made better by playing well with others, sharing, and listening to those we disagree with. I vote for those who see a world of grays and not one of clashing monotones. I vote for those who serve a shared pie willing to cut  enough slices to feed all at the table. And who put some away to make a better world for your children’s children.  

You’ve been taught that words matter, that honesty is the evasive but optimal policy, that doing what you say matters so much more than doing what you selfishly  plan in order to serve yourself. I vote for those whose record demonstrates reliability, whose actions put others first, whose plans include all of us and generations to come. I vote for those who are faithful to the laws of the land, to the values common to all of us, and who pursue the best for all. 

I vote for the patriot who has put his life on the line repeatedly in service to all, not the coward who ran from the inferno he helped feed in our hallowed halls. I vote for your sister’s, and your mother’s, and your future granddaughter’s fundamental and sacred right to choose what is best for their health and wellness, free of intrusion by the government or the hypocrisy of those who would impose their values on others.  

I vote for the dedication of the best teacher, the compassion of the tireless care provider, and for the inclusiveness of the wise spiritual leader. 

One day, I hope  you will vote this way too.

Tony Cook