Aquiles Tan Jr. grew up in Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod City. He was editor for two years of the student publication of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos. Now a U.S. citizen, he resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he is into real estate business. He has been living in the US for 32 years. Tan is a published author.
Without a doubt, the United States election on Tuesday (Nov.3) is the most consequential in the country’s history. It is a defining choice for Americans whether to continue four years of chaos, lies, corruption, blatant racism, and the systematic destruction of democratic norms or a return to normalcy and the re-establishment of America as a beacon of democracy in the world.
The choice is clear and despite the lies and misinformation, propagated by foreign adversaries and promoted by local politicians, the American electorate have seen enough. Over 87 million have flocked to the polls to vote early, braving the pandemic and enduring long lines, waiting for hours to cast their vote. With renewed enthusiasm to restore democracy, no amount of voter suppression can stop the American voter from exercising their right to vote. It is time to choose truth over lies, unity over division, decency over indecency and order over chaos.
With a raging pandemic in the backdrop, the abject incompetence and ineptitude of the current administration in controlling the virus has caused over quarter of a million deaths and over nine million infections across the country and counting. And this is happening in the richest country in the world with all the resources at its disposal. What is even worse is the fact that science has been relegated to the whims and caprices of politicians whose only motivation is to stay in power.
This election is about the future. The choice before us will determine the country we will leave our children and future generations. A clean environment is a must, and so is a world in harmony despite its diversity and differences. In a sense, this election is a time to reboot, to start all over again to make the country a much better place. It is a time to choose who can lead this nation to a better place, where everyone is afforded equal opportunity to succeed, where people of all races and religion thrive side by side, a place where everyone can choose whom to love, and a place where affordable health care is available to everyone.
What is great about America is the fact that the press is free and freedom of speech is alive and well. Lies, fake news and propaganda are called out into the open, opinions are challenged and corruption in government exposed. Civic responsibility is alive and well too. Social media giants have taken it upon themselves to police their ranks against fake news and misleading information.
Private organizations have banded together to promote voting and participate in this election.
At the end of the day, this election will be a defining moment for America. Whether America remains a great nation true to its ideals, and or veer off into unchartered waters to become another model for autocracy remains to be seen. That is what is at stake in this election. May God bless America.
Full Disclosure: Writer is a registered Democrat
