Vote or DIE

This morning I sent in my electoral ballot. It is the first year that I have been eligible to vote. Up until now I never became too involved with politics or controversial debates and issues because I never felt my opinion mattered. Now that I can, I’ve taken a serious interest in this year’s election following the campaigns and positions of Romney-Ryan and Obama-Biden. I’ve grown particularly passionate about the issue of abortion. A man (you my have heard of him) by the name of P.Diddy aka Puff Daddy aka Sean Combs -- ok whatever you want to call him -- started a viral campaign leading up to the Obama-Bush election taglined “Vote or Die.” At the time I thought it sounded completely ridiculous; how could I die from an election? Well, many ways actually: war, healthcare, and most pertinent to this year's election, abortion.

“Whoever is elected in November may have the rare chance to reinforce or alter the courts balance,” said Clint Bolick, author of “Two-Fer: Electing a President and a Supreme Court.” Although nobody can predict when a Supreme Court justice will retire, heading into this next presidential term, three of the nine Supreme Court justices will be entering their eighties. There is a decent chance that one of three will retire within the next four years, and an even greater chance that all three will retire by the end of the next eight years if the electee serves two terms. Whoever is elected -- Obama or Romney -- will have a huge impact on the future of the Supreme Court and the future of our country. How involved in our lives and invasive with our bodies do you feel the government should be?

            In watching last week’s vice presidential debates I became alarmed during the topic of abortion. Ryan’s views on abortion are so conservative and so strong. Biden, a Catholic himself who personally believes in the value of life and that a baby is a baby at the point of conception, still supports a woman's right to opt to have an abortion. He does not impose his personal views on the rest of the world, nor should he. Ryan, on the other hand, wants to illegalize abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother might die during child labor. Personally he would illegalize abortion in ALL of these cases. However, as far as the views of the country, he would make these last few exceptions. My belief is that in the 21st century, with all of the education and information we have, we should not be banning such advances in technology. It is a crime and a huge setback for women's rights. Abortion should not become a religious issue. Our country was NOT founded on the Bible but rather the Constitution.

            I think that students my age, particulary women, need to think long and hard about who they vote for this November. Not who their parents or there friends are voting for, but who they think as a woman has their best interests at heart. I know I am.