Please pardon the political rant...

I think that we, as North Americans, sometimes forget how much our actions have an impact on the world. Small things, such as grocery shopping, have a far broader impact than I originally thought. It took an experience like this to make me realize it too. That might be the scariest part.

We are known, even in the most respected media sources of South America, as "The Empire." To be fair, this has just as much to do with our government's foreign policy as it does with unrestrained multi-national companies; in both cases, our role as consumers and voters is a large one.

As a North American abroad, no one expects me to defend my government if I disagree with it, but I am faced with repeated questions of "Why?" My honest answer, sometimes, is that I just don't know. I don't know why our country acts as it does or why certain presidents and representatives get elected. I love our country, but having a look at it from outside puts a unique perspective on it. A perspective that, at times, I'm not very proud of.

Many North Americans may think that we're on an island, that we can insulate ourselves from the world, be it with foreign policy or a 20 foot-high wall. It's easy to forget the things we don't see each day: the immigration, the foreign debt, and the reliance that our government's policy has created. We are a part of this world, whether we like it or not.

And as countries gain power, especially economic power over the failing US economy, they begin to realize that the US and its citizens are not invisible. In Chile, a policy has been implemented that charges US and some European citizens a $100+ fee to simply enter the country. In many cases, North Americans have become livid that they must pay to simply step onto Chilean soil. However, is this any different from US customs and visa fees? Hardly. As difficult as it is to swallow, it makes me smile to know that by this measure, perhaps, we will come closer to a mutual respect that has been lacking for so long.

So this is my plea: when the elections come, please vote for the candidate that you think will have the best impact on our country and on the world as a whole. As most of you have voted in a few elections before, I'm sure that you have heard it repeatedly and I hope you put it into action. But having experienced our impact and seen what our reputation has become abroad, I just need to clear my conscience. This is my first presidential election, and I don't want to live on an island anymore.