Vote for Those Who Can’t

I came to the United States on August 24, 1995. I will never forget that day. Everything was new to me. People seemed free and friendly. Maybe because it was Texas. ?? I became a naturalized US citizen in 2003. I remember how happy I was getting the right to vote. You know why? Because where I came from, my vote has been thrown to trash for decades. That’s why I am voting for those who can’t. I am voting for my family back in Belarus whose votes have been stolen over and over again for the last 20+ years, including the latest shame of an election on August 9. Since that day, Belarusians, including my family, are out on the streets every day (86 days and counting) being brutally beaten, tortured and jailed because they want only one thing: their votes to be counted.

The right to vote is seemingly taken for granted by so many in this country. I saw this quote the other day: “Democracy is not just the right to vote, it is the right to live in dignity.” That may be true. However, without the right to vote, one cannot possibly live in dignity. I am 100% sure of that. Just ask people of Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Belarus, Russia, most African and Middle Eastern countries.

Remember this. When we vote on November 3 (or earlier), not only we vote for the future of our children, we vote for our parents and our ancestors who came to this country, so we can choose our own future. We also VOTE FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T – for people whose votes have been stolen. Show to the rest of the world, show to the people who are looking up to us with the hope that one day they will vote and their votes will be counted. I am, for one, giving my vote for my family and for the people of Belarus.

#VOTE