On November 4, 2008, I cast my vote for then Senator Barack Obama, a very young man who was about to become President of the United States. Less than an hour later, I set out on a journey by train. As I sat alone on my seat in that train, I could not help thinking about what I had just done. Deep in thought, I pulled out my phone, wrote and sent a long letter by email to my children in the hope that someday they would imagine the magnitude of what that moment in history meant for their father. My son had just become of voting age, was in the university and would be casting his first vote in that election. However, my daughter was still years away from being of voting age. About 6 years later, my daughter called home from her university and asked me if I still had that letter because she was trying to locate it on her computer. I was almost moved to tears because, although we had never discussed it, I realized at that moment that the letter had struck a cord with her.
As I have thought of the upcoming presidential election between Secretary Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump over the last few weeks, that private and very personal letter that I aptly titled “A letter to My Children” has reverberated over and over in my mind and, with just two days now to the election, I feel an urge to share a tiny portion of the letter publicly because this nation of which I am part is once again on the cusp of history. With so much antagonism and polarization in our midst resulting in the neglect of otherwise crucial matters, the issues that lie ahead for our nation and world are as significant, perhaps even more so than they were in 2008 when I wrote the following words to my children:
“Whatever happens now, do not allow the significance of today to be lost on you and your children. You should know, and you should let your children know, that during this period in our nation’s history, your father was often overwhelmed by the realization that God blessed his son with the opportunity to cast the first presidential election vote of his life for a man who looked like him. You should also know and let your children and grandchildren know that God also blessed your father’s daughter with the opportunity to cast her first presidential vote for the same man who looks like her. I am saying this confident that, in just hours, we and all those people who have tried over the past year and half to attack Senator Obama in very negative ways will very shortly begin to refer to him in the new title that God is about to confer on him: “Mr. President”. With that also comes the confidence that he will be running for a second term in office when you, my daughter, cast your first presidential election vote. In raising you, we have focused on the word of God and have emphasized the importance of seeking God’s kingdom and helping the less privileged. This is why we are Democrats…”
To me, this election is personal. Many years ago, I met a Chicago-based American while attending a conference in Moscow, Russia. Over the years, we have maintained a very close friendship and have developed a very tight family bond, such that we consider ourselves members of one another’s family. She is of Mexican heritage and I am of Nigerian heritage. Neither skin color nor ethnicity has prevented me from regarding the Villasenor family as my Chicago family or from her regarding mine as her family. So, when Donald Trump insisted that Mexicans were “criminals and rapists”, he was referring to my people; my family. He has had almost a year and half to apologize for that and many other insults that he hurled at individuals, groups of people and countries but he has refused to do so. A man who runs around praising and funding the persecution of people who look like me, as Mr. Trump did in regard to the “Central Park Five”, and has consistently done in cases of police brutality, must not receive a license from me to continue to destroy people. I cannot trust a man who stiffs workers rather than pay them for their labor to enter the Oval Office and make policy decisions that benefit the less privileged. If a man has spent his entire life degrading and disrespecting women like my daughter and boasting about his sexual assault of women, he cannot be my dinner guest and must not be the lead in most of the newscast that I watch for the next 4 years. A man who repeatedly says that black people live in hell and does not see how that is an insult to me, and all who look like me, is too ignorant to be the leader of a world that I live in. A man who has spent years trying to de-legitimize the presidency and citizenship of a President who looks like my son is not worthy of my embrace.
I will step into my voting booth on Tuesday, November 8thand cast my ballot for Secretary Hillary Clinton because it is the right thing to do. I will do so because that is the only step that is consistent with my spiritual beliefs, my status as the father of a young man and a young woman, and (God willing) a future grandfather who wants his grandchildren to live in a world that is not boundlessly infested by the hateful bigotry of Donald Trump and his supporters. Certainly, I do not agree with everything that Mrs. Clinton stands for and will not agree with all of her policies as President but she is the right person to lead this country, and the right leader that the free world needs. Having just had a presidency that is unrivalled in its decency, maturity, sincerity and intellect in modern times, we need a presidency that will solidify and extend the gains of the last 8 years. Of the two candidates, the only person able to do that is the one who is brilliant, caring, respectful of all, has a remarkable history of service, accepts and understands the promise of America and believes in John Wesley’s admonition to “Do all the good you can by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can…as long as you ever can”. That person is Hillary Rodham Clinton and I look forward to joining millions others to make her the next and first female President of the United States.
My husband cast his first vote this election as an American citizen. What an amazing election to have the privilege of voting in. But we voted for opposing candidates. But that's the privilege you have as an American citizen. And that's what he said to me tonight. That we will wake up tomorrow and no matter what happens, we did our duty, and I will still love you. But I am still praying that my candidate prevails:)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this craziness election. My son is casting his vote for the first time. He said to me "mom I cannot wait to vote on Tuesday because I have to much respect for you and my little sister and I will be crazy to let someone like Donald Trump to be predident." I am voting for hope and respect for my family; I am voting for her.
Professor, eloquently written and profound. Voting in this election is personal for me as well. I was lucky enough to have given birth to my children under a president that looks like them. It is the only president they know. I cannot fathom replacing this dignified presidency with one so filed with fear and hate. I am voting for Clinton and my children are accompanying me. I doubt they will remeber the significance of this election since they are 5 and 6, but I will relay the important political advances they witnessed.
I thought the title was rather long until I read the article. I then understood. A Trump victory would undoubtedly rubbish all that we know about American freedom and inclusiveness.
Doc., succinctly put! Anyone that votes for this man would have consigned evil personified. It is the only way I can look at it.