How do you feel now about how you voted in 2024?

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.

All of us have had occasions in life when we made the wrong choice. After all, life is about the choices that we make. Each day from our rising to our resting we make decisions. It’s inevitable.

Being a part of our society requires that we engage in decision-making. As a child maturing, I had to make choices each day. Mind you, the choices that I made really didn’t move the needle that much. As children, we made child-like decisions.

Over time our decisions did matter much more. Decisions about college, where to live and, of course, our life’s work. Relationships and friendships too had a bearing on what our futures would be.

When you are young, you have your parents to guide you and to assist you if you make a wrong turn. The key though is to listen to them and not have a hard head. You know what that makes.

Sometimes as adults, we listen to other adults in helping us to make personal choices. Now that approach can be both good and bad. Wouldn’t you agree?

If a person is easily swayed, then they’ll probably decide based upon what someone else is saying. You let others make the decision for you.

One of the greatest privileges that we have in the United States of America is the right to vote. It is an individual freedom that we should not take for granted. Globally, there are countries that wish they had what we have.

Humbly, I say that I have never “group voted.” I have always read about the issues and the qualifications of the candidates when voting for people. The process of review has always worked out well for me. Have the candidates and issues that I voted for always won? No, they have not.

I voted for a presidential candidate in 2024 and they did not win. The candidate I voted for had a platform for the people and had leadership experience throughout her career. Her last experience was that of serving as the vice president of the United States of America.

I voted for Kamala Harris. To this day, I do not regret voting for her. She was the best choice, an opinion shared by many people. There simply weren’t enough people who thought that way. Now, we have what we have.

Since that November night, we have lost standing in the world. We are seen as bullies and takers. We are no longer thought of as a participant in the global uplift of the world. The perception and reality are that we force our way into getting what we want.

Look at us now. Are these the results that you expected? As we celebrated our 250^th birthday, did you think we would be in this morass of mayhem and misery? If you are honest with yourself, the answer is no. Did you buy as much food to celebrate as you did last year? Just be clear and say no.

Were you missing people at your table or at your backyard barbecue? There are thousands of people documented and in various stages of documentation that are now in jails. Some you will never hear about again in life. They have become persona non grata (an unwelcome person). They were simply taken by force and in horrific fashion from their families.

What is so sad about this scenario is that some of their relatives voted against Kamala Harris. They were sold a bill of goods with no receipt and now, no refund. You are stuck.

That’s what happens when you stop listening to verified facts. Now you sit discouraged and disillusioned. Do you remember the timeless expression, “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me?” Weren’t you fooled the first time? I guess not.

Poll numbers are not good. It doesn’t matter what poll you review. The numbers don’t lie. This is our present-day circumstance. How do you feel about your vote now? Tell the truth.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.

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