I am not a political person. Yet, my Public Affairs Reporting class has forced me to look at politics and how it affects my life.

As a result, my political interest came to an all-time high this weekend. It started when I was doing research for a Public Affairs Reporting assignment. The interest continued when my pastor made an announcement on voting in his sermon. Evangelical Christians do not have a good track record for voting. My pastor appealed to us as Christians to vote in a biblical way. I struggled through church wondering what “voting in a biblical way” meant. I have come to a conclusion: this is my appeal to Christian and non-Christian voters.

I am at a point in my life where I am consumed with thoughts of tuition and future job opportunity. These are issues that candidates for any office are concerned about. Some candidates appeal to me because they have great track records on voting for educational assistance and job creation for future college graduates.

Many of these same candidates want to make it possible for me to have a partial-birth abortion or marry another woman.

So when I first started this voting search, the thought entered my mind that I could vote for the candidates that would make paying for college easier. With that comes the possible option of partial-birth abortion and same-sex marriage, but those are two things that will never be relevant in my life, so why worry about it?

But this option did not sit well with me. So, when my pastor told me to vote intelligently and biblically, I began to reconsider some of my earlier thoughts.

I do not want to live in a country where partial-birth abortion is legal and homosexuals are allowed to marry. I have not taken the moral high ground my whole life, so I can’t allow my voting decision to be swayed by educational assistance.

While it does seem as if college is one of the biggest priorities in my life right now, these years are only a small part of my life. Yes, I am taking longer than normal – six years – yet it still is just a fraction of my time spent on Earth. There will come a day when my student loans are paid off and my job is just something I do everyday. What will remain important in my life is my faith, family and friends.

As a possible future mother in the United States, I would rather have my children struggle through paying for college like I have, than have the option of having an abortion or entering into a same-sex marriage. Struggles, like paying for college, build character and character builds hope. I like to think I am a very hopeful person, and I want nothing less for my future children.

The society I live in now disgusts me. I could make the decision to vote for what is best for me in my present situation, but I won’t.

I am going to vote for the candidates that I feel can make this country different. This “me” attitude that we currently have is obviously not working. So maybe if we switched our focus from “me” to “us,” things could change. Maybe if we brought life back to a simpler time, things could change. Hey, it’s not going to hurt to give it a try.

If life were perfect there would be candidates that satisfy all that I want in the world. I am still doing some of my candidate research, so maybe there will be a few that I can vote for with full assurance. But life is not perfect and neither are the candidates running for office.

So, when I go to cast my ballot on Tuesday, I will be voting for candidates that live up to my moral expectations. I appeal to other people who may have some of the same thoughts as myself to vote for things that will really matter in our futures – things that really mean something to you. Do not just vote to vote, but vote with a passion. Vote for something you truly believe in.