America needs Millennials to vote

I am an elder member of the wolf clan. I’m retired and have audited classes at UWG since I moved from Charlotte to Carrollton in 2012.

This semester I’m enrolled in Sociology of Terrorism with Dr. Neema Noori. The class is topical. My classmates and I strive to understand what terrorism is and why it happens. Border security is important and the subject should concern everyone.

As a fellow wolf, I appeal to you on a matter of utmost importance, the 2016 election. The deadline to register to vote in Georgia has passed. I hope you are registered and will participate in the process of choosing the next president.

Major candidates present flawed choices, but you should still vote November 8. In sixty-seven years, I’ve held my nose and voted many times. Not voting is not an option. We can’t abdicate our responsibility as citizens. This month, the Billy Bush tape made our choice clearer.

Millennials can make a difference in this election. Statistics show you are much more informed about climate change, and understand the need for immediate change in energy and pollution policy.

Your generation contacts local government and works with others in the community. You are likely to get involved in protests or other political confrontations. You’re also a progressive generation. That’s why many millennials are Bernie people.

Sanders is as progressive as you are. It’s not because he presents a slick political message to appeal to the younger generation. It’s because he’s a true progressive who believes in progressive principles. He fights for them out of conviction. That’s the thing about authenticity, ou can’t fake it.

Sanders inspires passionate, politically active voters. Since his defeat, he agrees it’s time to help elect the adult on the ballot. Early voting has started. Please put down your device and cast a vote.

I write a bi-monthly opinion columns for The Times-Georgian newspaper in Carrollton because I want to be a thought leader. At the risk of sounding preachy and partisan, although it’s good to have a third party alternative, please don’t vote for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate for president. His lack of knowledge on foreign affairs is appalling.

In response to an interviewer’s question, Johnson didn’t know what Aleppo is. His inability to recognize the Syrian city that is ground zero for the refugee crisis disqualifies him. Images flood our television screens nightly of Aleppo’s bombed hospitals and bloodied children.

Hillary runs on the Democratic National Platform which was brokered at their national convention with heavy influence from Sanders.

Don’t fall for diversions. Discern who has well-thought-out policy positions, and who’s throwing everything at their opponent to see what sticks. It’s impossible to rig national elections run by fifty separate state Boards of Elections.

Decide whether you want your country to be entertained, or to be led.

No matter your choice, please vote.

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