I went campaigning door-to-door the other day. It is always nice to meet voters face-to-face and hear what they have to say.
I ran into a young single mom who was not registered because she had just moved into New Rochelle. She agreed to register and I filled out the form for her. We got to the section where she had to decide her party affiliation.
I asked her which party she wants to join. She said “Democrat, that is what I guess I am suppose to be, I guess.” I told her I was a Republican and she could choose any party she wants. Just because you are African American does not mean you have to be a Democrat, I said. I gave her the choices on the form and she said Independence Party. So I filled it out for the Independence Party.
Here is the key point. So many people feel they have an expectation to uphold because of their parents, race, language, or national origin. It is good to feel free to decide on our own. I am proud to have given her that choice. When I see certain parties doing voter registrations, they force party affiliation.
The young lady told me that when she voted, the clerk instructed her to vote Democrat across the board. That instruction was illegal, by the way. And demeaning to a free thinking mind. Why can’t we decide for ourselves who would best serve our community and nation.
After talking to her, I commented that she sounded more like a conservative in her views. But more important than party is the decision to vote. And thinking people always make the right choice.
