VOTE

"A man without a vote is a man without protection." - Lyndon B. Johnson

In one of my vivid memories from childhood, I’m standing behind the velvety curtain of a voting booth, in a big public-school corridor, while my mom carefully makes her choices for an election. What she modeled to me is that our civil right to vote is something to be respected and cherished. My mother made sure that I knew that my voice mattered… Our voices matter.

We are in the midst of a crucial and important time in our history, as we near the presidential election on November 3. Our nation is battling through a turbulent season with many important issues at center stage: a global pandemic, racial inequality, unemployment, fires, hurricanes, climate change, health insurance, you name it. As Deepak Chopra said, "we are experiencing an anxious and angry state of the world."

But this is not the time for hopelessness or indifference. With everything we’ve experienced in 2020, it’s more important than ever to continue to believe in the greatness of our democracy. Our Constitution was designed to create a stronger national government, and that responsibility and privilege is now in our hands.

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr

Today, every citizen of the United States gets a vote. We are removed from the generations who faced oppression and were forced to fight for a voice. The right to vote was handed down to us on the backs of titans like Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. I challenge you to do your part to honor them and the thousands of people who fought to make our country its absolute best for all. Let us stand together and be brave. Let us make a difference. Let us VOTE.

"We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate." - Thomas Jefferson

**At ABACORP, we are proud to do our part as an American company, supporting American industries and focusing on American-made products. Our core values reflect the American dream.

Jennifer Esquivel