Well the yard signs are out in full swing, and I’m not talking real estate signs. It’s election time; time to vote. I think we all know someone, maybe even ourselves, who has been guilty of the ‘My vote doesn’t matter, so why bother?’ thought. I know it’s flickered across my mind in the past, and the whole ‘electoral’ vote system has been known to amplify those thoughts and frustrations in me. I’ve changed my way of thinking though. My vote DOES matter; so does yours!
For hundreds of years our forefathers and fellow countrymen and women have fought for and defended our freedoms. Familiar freedoms we hold dear such as our freedom of speech and religion. Shouldn't we hold our right to vote as high as the others? It’s a freedom thousands have paid for with their lives. Not only is voting one of our rights as a citizen, but it’s a way for our voices to be heard and a way we can hold those we elect accountable for the decisions they make. It's also a way we can influence the decisions that will ultimately affect our communities and the way we live. If voting is our voice being heard, then what does not voting say? It says more than nothing. It says we don’t care. It says we can’t be bothered enough to answer the question of how we feel about something. If you’re like one of the many people I’ve met who are frustrated with the electoral voting system, then voting should take on an even stronger importance to you. How will the electoral vote system ever change if we don’t care enough to vote on the ‘smaller’ items we’re asked to voice our opinions about? There’s another important reason to vote though; one I think we have slowly moved away from—honor. Our vote honors those who have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. As a female, I feel I owe a special duty to honor those women and suffragists who went before me and fought so strongly for my voice to be heard and counted. For me, duty and honor are reason enough to send me to the ballot box, and to all our veterans and serviceman, Thank You!
Please vote…it really does matter.
US Flag by jn1776 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0