Colorado
Opinion: As a first-time voter, I feel empowered knowing I can make a difference in Colorado and the country
At nearly 6 years old, I remember the feeling of the living room carpet under me as I sat in front of a monitor displaying Barack Obama’s determined face during the 2012 presidential election debates. As the smell of a dinner in progress wafted in from the kitchen, the speakers slightly warbled his voice.
My eyes concentrated on Obama’s face and I noticed that with every word he uttered, he did it with grace and an overbearing belief that instilled confidence in me. As a voice called me to join them for dinner, I reluctantly pulled myself from my spot in front of the TV, eyes still stuck on the screen. Leaving the room, I still remember feeling a thick aura of hope hanging in the air.
From that point forward, politics and government have been an integral part of my life. For as long as I can remember, it has been a family tradition to sit over steaming hot food at the dinner table and hear my parents and siblings — and when I got older, even me — debate and discuss what was happening in the world. Sometimes we would argue loudly at a divided table, but that was all a part of another lesson my parents taught me, that passion was a good thing, especially in politics.
Day after day at the dinner table, I would gather little bits of information that would help me realize what was most important to me as an American, a Muslim, a woman and a human.
Being part of a politically aware family, I have always known that the 2024 election would be the first I would be eligible to vote in. However, the weight of that decision only dawned on me recently with November 5th looming.
My parents and communities have always instilled in me the knowledge that contributing to society through civic and political engagement is the best way to be a good American, and the epitome of that is voting. As a young kid, seeing the colorful red, white and blue “I Voted” stickers that came with my parents’ ballots, I eagerly looked forward to earning one of my own.
I am inspired by people like Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King Jr., and I recognize and believe in the immense opportunity that voting gives to our hope-ingrained Republic.
Besides at home, my social studies classes have been instrumental to my learning about the importance and privilege of voting.
Last year, one of the most influential ways I learned to see current events through the eyes of history was in my American Government class. My teacher explained the importance of voting through the perspective of those who dedicated their lives to gaining the right to vote and tried to put us in their shoes.
He impressed upon us the fact that had we been alive before the 1965 Voting Rights Act, a majority of us would not have been allowed to vote. After giving us a moment to think about this, he asked why any of us would be unwilling to vote when we have that right.
Still, it is hard not to feel like voting is like having all the world’s power while also having none. Being just one person in a country with millions can be intimidating and make you question the importance of just one vote. In close elections, local or national, one vote can make the difference in electing an individual who is fit to serve the people and one who isn’t.
I know that when I vote, even if the outcome is not what I want, I make the decision to let my voice be heard and that is what voting is all about.
I often feel at a loss between frustration and worry about how our current government functions and where it is headed. However, there is always the possibility of a better world fueled by the fundamentals of democracy, which at its core is voting. Voting is not only a vehicle of hope but also a tool to empower our society.
Of all of the emotions I have around voting for the first time, the most prevalent is the feeling that I can make a difference in my country. Most of all, I want to embrace this feeling and celebrate the freedom to vote in order to work toward creating a better future on Nov. 5 along with my fellow Americans.
I hope that every eligible young adult joins me in voting and embraces the opportunity to help shape this country to uphold the values we hold dear.
Ayah Al-Masyabi lives in Aurora and is a student journalist and creative who attends Branson School Online. Ayah was part of The Colorado Sun’s Rise & Shine Journalism Workshop for high school students.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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Colorado
Colorado mother says Lakewood crash killed son, left 2 of her children critically injured as driver is arrested
A mother is grieving after a crash in the Denver metro area last weekend left her son brain-dead and two of her other children fighting for their lives.
Lakewood police say 22-year-old Andrew Logan Miller has been arrested in connection with the crash, which happened Dec. 6 around 7:30 p.m. near Kipling Parkway and West 6th Avenue.
Police say Miller was driving an SUV southbound on Kipling Parkway at a high rate of speed when it collided with a bus carrying a wrestling team from Central High School, which is located in Grand Junction in Mesa County.
Sixteen people were taken to hospitals.
Among the injured were three siblings who were riding inside the SUV.
On Friday, their mother, Suleyma Gonzalez, identified them as Julio Gonzalez, 18, Analelly Gonzalez, 17, and Christopher Gonzalez, 14.
Analelly and Christopher remain in critical condition. Julio will never wake up.
“I didn’t want to believe it, until they had to do the second testing where they didn’t find blood going through his brain,” she said. “My other two are in comas.”
Gonzalez said doctors ultimately declared Julio brain-dead.
She describes her children as disciplined students and ROTC members with plans for the future.
“Two of my kids were going to graduate this year,” she said. “No drugs. No alcohol. They were good kids.”
Gonzalez confirmed that Miller, who was driving the SUV at the time of the crash, was her daughter’s boyfriend.
“I know he loved my daughter,” she said. “I don’t think he did this on purpose or intentionally. It was an accident.”
Police say the investigation is ongoing, but believe speed played a major role in the crash.
Miller was arrested Wednesday night and is facing multiple charges, including:
• Vehicular assault (7 counts)
• Speeding 40 mph or more over the limit
• Reckless driving
• Child abuse (2 counts)
• Reckless endangerment
“My kids know when you get in somebody’s car, there’s always a risk. Always,” she said.
Julio’s organs will be donated. He’s on life support, while the hospital searches for matches.
“He wanted to give to the world,” she said. “Now that I can’t get him back, we want to give life to somebody else.”
Miller is currently being held in the Denver County Jail and is awaiting transfer to the Jefferson County Jail. His bond and court appearance have not yet been announced.
Lakewood police say the investigation remains active.
Gonzalez, a single mother of five, says her focus now is on her surviving children and getting clarity.
“I just want answers.”
DENVER, Colo. (KKTV) – The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced Thursday a lawsuit against the Colorado Secretary of State for failure to produce state voter information.
Secretary of State Jena Griswold claims the DOJ sent a “broad” request for the voter registration rolls on May 12.
Griswold says her office complied with the request and “shared the publicly available data consistent with applicable law.” However, the lawsuit against Griswold says that her office did not respond to the letter.
Griswold sent a letter in November signed by several Secretaries of State to the DOJ and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting clarification on how the data would be used, but she claims neither replied to the questions in the letter.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that DOJ attorney Eric Neff followed up by emailing Secretary Griswold on Dec. 1, requesting Colorado’s Statewide Voter Registration list.
Griswold said this request asked the office to share unredacted voter data, including a voter’s full name, date of birth, residential address, and complete state driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
Griswold responded by email on Dec. 3, stating, “We received your request. We will not be producing unredacted voter files or signing the MOU,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit cites the Civil Rights Act, which gives the United States Attorney General the power to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
The DOJ is requesting a judge to declare that Griswold violated the Civil Rights Act and to order her to provide the current electronic copy of Colorado’s statewide voter registration list.
Griswold’s office released the following statement:
The DOJ released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
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