European Parliament Elections 2014 - Preach it, Sina!

In the past seven days I already worked 90 hours. Why? Because I work for an election, and apparently democracy doesn't sleep. The European Elections are coming up in Germany and the team and I are currently being raped by all kinds of evil forces that evidently want to screw up a smooth administration. I will be able to write a dozen blogs on what has been happening at this job which is amazing in many ways but since I worked 14 hours today, rode my bike home, and barely slept all week I will refrain yet again from writing all the posts I have lined up in my head. One post can't wait though, and that is the "Jesus, people go vote because it is important for so many reasons!" post!

Firstly, don't make me repeat the depressing number of work hours I just gave you. Is anyone really that cruel as to make all this effort be in vain? Granted, I get paid for this work but I also believe it is awesome that the people in my country can vote and that it is being made so easy for them. In 2011, when Kenya voted and I was fortunate enough to witness it, the Kenyan people lined up for eight hours in front of the polling stations to cast their vote. These people realized what a great gift it is to be able to have a voice even though we're individually too insignificant to make it heard.

This points me to the principle of Europe. Individually, we're all great but together we can kick ass. The same applies to the parliament we're electing on Sunday. Not to believe in Europe is forgetting everything that has happened on this continent for the past 3000 years. War is all there ever was, and now, we've been living peacefully, helping each other, sitting at the same tables, paying with the same money and sending students like me abroad to get an interbational education for the past few decades. We're no longer historic Europe, we're a community. And we now have the chance to decide where we're all going together. 

I'm not going to lie, in a pool of millions of votes a single vote doesn't count for much. However, if someone gives you a lottery ticket free of charge you play even though your odds are most definitely way too bad to consider a win. If you don't play you will have even worse chances of winning, namely zero percent. So you play. You are given this vote so you might as well use it and possibly decide what path Europe will go. You will have a preference, and thousands of others will share it. If all of you are too lazy to express it nobody wins. It is a gift, and it should be regarded as such. Don't make me go on, please!

Having said that I will have to conclude in expressing what I believe is the best choice. I was never a big enthusiast of European Politics until I met the man that is Martin Schulz. It is possible that Europe will one day fail miserably (which I don't believe in the slightest) but if it does I know for a fact that this man tried everything to stop it. I have never met anyone who believes in and works so hard for Europe. And more importantly, he has the ability to make others see why he loves it so much. What we need in Europe is more enthusiasm, a stronger belief and the patience to make the changes that are necessary because they sure as hell will take forever to come about with 751 delegates. Europe is far from over though so I encourage everyone to believe, cast their vote, and see how the results change our lives for the better, not the worse!