“Voting for Non-Citizens”
It’s not what you think. This is not a piece about how non-citizens can pull a fast one on an election judge or your friendly neighborhood elderly poll worker.
This year I am going to vote, regardless whether or not I am a US citizen. Whether you have a green card, here on a visa, or here “illegally”, you can too. And you should. For the sake of disclosure, I must inform you it is illegal for non-citizens to vote. You could be deported for impersonating a citizen. But still I say you can and you should vote…. The economy is on the line, healthcare is on the line, social security is on life support, there is the war in Iraq, the one in the inner cities; and yes, when it comes to education, your child’s name must be “no child” because he/she is being left behind….
If you are not a citizen today, you could be a citizen tomorrow, your children could be citizens, and this election is about where America (to an extension the world) goes tomorrow. We all have a stake in that….
The candidate with the most money (or access to it), gets the largest share of our ear-space. Basically, the ad makers make the candidate. Then the media take care of the rest….
My point is, the vast majority of American voters are passive voters, they don’t decide on their own whom to vote for. It is decided for them. So I figure if the party heads, the media, ad executives, celebrities and even clergy are going to tell them who to vote for, why not me. I’m their neighbor, their classmate, their friend… I have to be more trustworthy than the talking heads on T.V.
As a non-citizen, do your research on the candidates and decide who best represents your interest. In essence, if you could vote, who it would be for. Then identify citizens that would rather be told than do their own research on the candidates’ stance on the issues. Trust me, this is majority of the voting block. Approach them at work, at you favorite deli, at big and small meetings, over dinner, between class, anywhere they would give you a share of their ear-space. And give them your interpretation of the issues and the candidates….
Though it may be illegal for you to vote, there is nothing against you being actively involved in the political process….
This is about how we all are free to engage our neighbors in conversation on the issues of the day. Good advice for citizens and non-citizens alike.
(via @Nelima, aka Nelima Kerre)
