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Journalism of Courage
After nearly 20 years in the US, an Indian-origin woman, Dini M, celebrated a milestone: her first time voting as a newly naturalised citizen. Her heartfelt LinkedIn post quickly gained attention, with readers offering warm congratulations and expressing pride.
In her post, Dini shared the excitement of finally being able to participate in the democratic process, captioning a photo of herself holding a ballot envelope saying, “First timer alert!! After 20 years in the US, I finally earned the right to cast my vote!!”
Reflecting on her journey, she recalled an exchange with a professor when she first arrived in the US. She had asked him, “Who are you voting for?” only to be surprised by his response. He kindly explained an essential lesson in American social etiquette, advising her, “Don’t ever talk about politics, religion, or money unless you are close to the person.”
Growing up in India, she said, these topics were not as sensitive, so the lesson stuck with her. As a result, she wrote, “I haven’t talked about these topics publicly since,” emphasising that her post was a celebration of her civic moment rather than any political statement.
Take a look at the post:
Many other LinkedIn users took to the comments section to show appreciation.
Havilah Vangroll commented, “Voting is your voice. Love that you are getting to participate. It is a privilege too many disregard,” to which Dini replied, “It’s unfortunate so many are choosing to abstain from this privilege because they don’t like either candidate.”
Another individual congratulated Dini on her first vote and asked, “Are you rocking an I-voted sticker?” A third person wrote, “Dini, thank you for voting and doing your civic duty as a citizen!”
