Dear Future President,

I know that I am not old enough to officially vote, but you should know that I’m aware that whatever path you put this country on affects me and my future, along with everyone I care about. I am asking you to choose wisely and with consideration for those who you promised to protect when taking this role. What this country needs the most from you right now in times of uncertainty is to embrace the power of love, and not the love of power. I’ve seen this destructive power first-hand, and I cannot take any more of it. 

In the past four years, I’ve seen what the abuse of power and lack of vision has done to our people. I look around and see Americans shamed for their beliefs, kept from loving and being their true selves, along with their lives being questioned on whether or not they matter. The scariest part is that this is just the tip of our country’s malicious iceberg. I’m asking you to embrace love and equality through your words and actions. Renounce groups that feed their love off of power by oppressing anyone of any color, size, religion, sexual preference or orientation, and support groups and communities that spark positive change.

I will take my first steps as an adult in this country that is under your leadership. I hope you lead by making our nation a place where I trek on equal grounds full of opportunity for everyone. I will inherit the responsibility of looking after my community in helping change it for the better, along  with supporting those neglected by a system that praises unfulfilled promises. I am asking you to promise to never neglect anyone and guarantee that standards written into our nation’s very own constitution are followed. One thing I want you to take away from my words and into the rest of your presidency is that our nation will never truly be equal until those in power choose to embrace the power of love, not the love of power.