Nine Cent Girl side-stepped much of the political drama this election cycle, instead posting life-enforcing messages, focusing on all the positive traits most American’s share, such as love for family and our magnificent country. However, today I endorse Kamala Harris for all those same reasons. She has already proven to be a unifier, a refreshing voice of positivity, and has stayed the moral course even when lambasted with hatred and bigotry from every dark corner. I am proud to vote for this strong and competent candidate who I hope will be the next President of the United States of America.

In case you didn’t know, I’m a life-long educator, which means that not only did I stand in front of sharp and inquisitive students who became lawyers, artists, writers, business owners, doctors, nurses, Olympic athletes, even teachers themselves, but I too continued to take courses and further my own education. All of this is to show that I know how to research and dig to the heart of the issue, uncover the truth at the core, and study history, all of which helps to understand our current situation with more clarity. The Holocaust survivor, political activist, and Nobel Laureate, Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” Read that twice, at least we always did in my classroom, because words of significance require contemplation to take in all their complexity.

Wiesel spent his lifetime warning about the insidious nature of indifference, about preventing generalized hatred from taking root, and about taking a stand when it does. I use the word complexity here because now, as possibly never before, one needs to dig into important matters to find those roots. Only one candidate on the ballot has the inclination to ask questions, to listen, to ask more questions, and to not mistake rhetoric for fact. In English 9 my students discovered which sites would lead them to more of their own bias and which sites would list fact. Kamala Harris resides in those factual sites. If you are not capable of deciphering such nuances, ask your local public librarian for assistance. They will show you a trusted list of sites that aren’t funded by any business or political party. It is no coincidence that Ms. Harris supports public institutions like libraries and schools, these pillars of a free and open society, and that’s a big yes to me.

Kamala Harris is a devoted, and by all accounts, a terrific step-parent. In this role she has proven to have navigated a splintered-family and brought it to wholeness, which, in my mind, is quite an accomplishment. There are many blood families who can’t profess such unity, yet Harris made family a priority in her marriage, despite a demanding career and the difficulties one faces balancing all the stuff. I love that her step-children invented a name for her, that Sunday’s came to mean family dinner night, and that each in that home felt valued and heard. Holding family together is not an easy task, made even more challenging when divorce is involved, but I admire this woman who overcomes such tests so naturally. Here is perhaps a direct link to her heart, that she is capable of extending herself and her love with such ease. Strength is lauded in our country, but the capacity to feel love, to show empathy, to fundamentally care, those traits too must reside in the heart of the White House. Whoever has their finger on the nuclear button must think clearly about those in harm’s way, which at this point, is everyone on this small planet, but they must also have the capacity to care for those who will inevitably be sent into peril. From her own family to those in the military, Harris has shown sound judgment and sensitivity. Trusting Harris is easy when you observe her in action.

Did I mention that she was bright? Harris’ own parents were scholars, so the expectation for Harris was indeed high. She did not disappoint. Harris holds an advanced degree in law, and if you have even listened to her speeches, you can hear how she strings sentences together, building erudite points that lead to a powerful conclusion. I like intellectual prowess in a President. I can imagine Harris sitting across leaders from around the globe and not only hold her own, but make us proud. If all you have heard from Harris is out-of-context soundbites I encourage you to shed your skepticism, turn down your conspiratorial inclinations, and discover her message of hope and unity.

In Kamala Harris I put my trust. I hope after reading parts of her speech– spoken recently from the Ellipse–you will feel the same.

“I love our country with all my heart,” she said, “And I believe in its promise. Because I’ve lived it…. And I see the promise of America in all of you…. I see it in the young people who are voting for the first time who are determined to live free from gun violence and to protect our planet, and to shape the world they inherit.”

“I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom, and the men who support them. I see it in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before but have put the Constitution of the United States over party. I’ve seen it in Americans, different in many respects, but united in our pursuit of freedom, our belief in fairness and decency, and our faith in a better future.”

“Nearly 250 years ago, America was born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant. Across the generations, Americans have preserved that freedom, expanded it, and in so doing, proved to the world that a government of, by, and for the people is strong and can endure. And those who came before us—the patriots at Normandy and Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewall, on farmlands and factory floors—they did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms…only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant. ”

“These United States of America: we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators. The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised: a nation big enough to encompass all our dreams, strong enough to withstand any fracture or fissure between us, and fearless enough to imagine a future of possibilities. ”

“So, America, let us reach for that future. Let us fight for this beautiful country we love. And in seven days, we have the power—each of you has the power—to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.”

Please VOTE with clear eyes and full heart on Tuesday!