Earth to America: Your vote is not just for you

A perspective from abroad about the global significance of voting next week

For the better parts of 2004 until now, I have been living, working and traveling outside the United States. It has been interesting being an American abroad during these years. Now, with the upcoming election drawing near, I feel the global community actively voicing their concerns to me and anyone else who can vote about who will be the next president. Unfortunately, concerns aside, they will be powerless on election day, but they do know they will be affected by the outcome regardless.

In 2003, I took my first trip abroad. These were the Bush years of megalomania foreign policy and when people asked WTF questions about the Bush administration, it was hard for me, as a naive 16 yr old, to explain the state of a nation divided. Nevertheless, I continued to travel during both of Bush’s terms. Though these are first world problems, it was more burdensome to be an American abroad during those years.

Then, when Obama came into office, the scene shifted. Outside perspectives seemed to change suddenly. As an air of hope emerged from the ashes, it didn’t last long within the US, but it left an imprint on the global community. Over time, US-centered conversations I had with foreigners were more productive and I didn’t cringe every single time I read foreign policy updates. Although, even now, the military’s industrial complex is still too much for me, I still felt like things had gotten better. Overall, it was has been easier for me and for Americans abroad.

In talking to people from all over the world, and with regards to the election, everyone that I’ve worked with/traveled with/encountered doesn’t give a damn about Hillary’s emails. They know her from her extensive travels as Secretary of State and her long line of experience before that. They believe that she understands foreign policy better than her opponent since, for starters, she has actually been to all the countries she talks about (little Haiti in Miami doesn’t count). According to many I’ve talked to, understanding even a little bit of context and diversity through exposure is very important when making policy decisions; I couldn’t agree more.

Moreover, a former colleague told me, “I feel like the whole world should be able to vote in the US election because we are all going to be affected by these policies in the end.” This is unfortunately true.

Fast forward to now and once again, I find myself outside of my home country. For over a year, I have been living abroad in Europe, working for a UN-Agency, and for the past six-weeks I have been traveling throughout SE Asia. Even though I continue to pledge allegiance to my United, yet deeply divided, States I feel like a warped record trying to objectively explain what’s going on. Believe it or not, I’m actually going to be returning to the US on election day. I didn’t realize it at the time, but what a day to come back!

This leads me to my long, drawn out point. Your vote as an American is not just for you. It’s for future generations to allow them to travel easier and it’s for others, like immigrants and refugees, to be able to come to the US easier too. Your vote is also for those in other countries who can’t vote next week but will feel the results of the election, long after voting day is over.

In the end, it is not be about who you feel will do a better job as president, it is about who is actually qualified to do the very hard and challenging job that lies ahead. If you want to make a moral argument about what you like or don’t like about a certain candidate, please save it for after the election. Accountability will be more important after they are in office anyway, so let’s move morality aside for the moment.

So, for what it’s worth, please vote and do so wisely. The world is actually counting on it.