Blah blah blah. The election news drones on and on. This candidate did this, that candidate did that–if you can believe it. He said, she said. He tweeted, she cheated.

This is no longer news to you.

The negative view we have of both mainstream candidates is higher than ever before in U.S. history (well, at least for those years we have polls. So, only for a few decades). This is not news to you either.

But here’s some news for you: if you let your disgust and exasperation get the better of you, and don’t exercise your right to vote on November 8th, you will making a grave mistake.

It’s not because your vote will make a difference. It won’t.

It’s because the right to vote is a privilege. It’s not something to be treated lightly. It’s something to be cherished. It’s a way and a time to be a part of something greater than yourself. It’s a chance to participate in history.

If that doesn’t speak to the romantic in you, consider one more thought.

This election has presented us with a perfect model for difficult decision-making. In real life, decisions are hard. We are often faced with two or more flawed options. We need to pick the lesser of evils based on biased, incomplete information. And we need skills to learn how to do this. So let’s use this election process to develop our decision making muscles.

Not voting would be practicing avoidance of difficulty. Do we want, when faced with difficult decisions, to respond with avoidance? Do we want to throw up our hands and give up?

We need to learn how to do this, even though it’s hard. We need to learn how to make difficult decisions based on the information we have available. The only wrong decision here would be to not make a decision.

Come on, America. I know you’re scared. But you can do it. Pick a candidate. A mainstream candidate. A third party candidate. Any candidate at all. Exercise your right to vote. Don’t stay home on Election Day.

I hope things will get better. But even if they don’t, you will be better off for not running away when the voting gets tough.

Shimmy Feintuch, LCSW CASAC-G maintains a private practice in Brooklyn, NY, and Washington Heights, NYC, with specialties in addictions and anxiety. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University. Contact: (530) 334-6882 or shimmyfeintuch@gmail.com. 

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