When I was born, women did not have the vote. At the time, this was not a matter of great concern to me, I was mainly interested in being fed, dry, and warm. I still like to be fed, dry, and warm but, as soon as I was old enough to vote, voting became even more important than mere physical comfort. It's mind-boggling, now, to realize that once women couldn't vote, or own property, or have control over their money. "What if I couldn't vote?" I asked myself. Politics, candidates, unfairness, laws, ideas for change--all those things I found so fascinating to think about and discuss--all would be beyond my power to affect with a vote, or even a conversation.
I recently heard some young people discussing voting, and opining that it wasn't worth it to vote because "it doesn't make any difference anyway." I wasn't part of the conversation, but would love to have been able to tell them how precious a right it is, the right to vote. I wanted to tell them it's the only way to make their voices heard. And if they don't vote, they have no right to complain about the results, They have to live with them whether they like them or not. If everyone gave up on voting, there would be no democracy. We would be ruled by those who's main interest is to get in power and stay in power.
Sometimes elections are won by very small margins, and those cases demonstrate how important every vote can be. We are lucky to live in a democracy where the voice of the people really counts. Or it does unless we become so apathetic that we don't take any interest. Whoever reads this, whether you are young or old, and whether or not we agree or disagree, please vote. Think about what you want for your city, your state, or for the whole country, and speak up with your vote. Take a serious look at the candidates and ask yourself which ones you would like to have making decisions about your life. Vote!
