Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable - a most sacred right - a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.

-Abraham Lincoln

I am a huge fan of Abraham Lincoln as a man, a president, and an emancipator. I believe his quote above represents the foundation upon which the United States of America was founded, as well as the sense of duty we have felt to liberate struggling countries. I must say that I agree with Lincoln’s quote, as I believe each individual has a right to life, including the right to choose how he/she should be governed. I understand the reasons for which rules and government were founded, but sometimes it seems power and government do more bad than good in the world.

It is a globally known fact that Americans have very low voter turnout. Americans have the “the power, the right to . . . shake off the existing government” by voting for the candidate they like the most. Yet it seems as if our right to vote is something we take for granted. Or perhaps the majority of Americans just don’t care enough. Another question Lincoln’s quote raises during this election time is, what if neither candidate represents fully enough a new government that suits us better?

In my Environment and Development class, we frequently discuss the idea of the U.S. contributing to foreign aid – what are the benefits, and why do Americans generally not support it? Personally I am pro-U.S. foreign aid, especially because today, many international organizations are requiring governments to create and enforce laws for gender equality and water sanitation before receiving aid. So by voting for an American president that suits the Free World, should we also consider the significance of voting for a president that supports foreign aid that can ultimately “liberate the world”?