Emotions are running high. People are fed up with the choices running for President for Election 2016. I want you to stop complaining right now. Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, social security, health care, and other important issues. Never shrug off this responsibility.
Remember Florida? The debacle in Florida that followed the 2000 presidential election is still fresh in many people’s minds. Try asking those folks if your vote matters or not.
America is a democracy. True, it may be a representative democracy, but your elected representatives still need to know how their constituents think in order to accurately represent them. They are counting on your vote as part of that process. Please save me the whining about how great and not great the country is. This country is still a pretty good place to live.
You’re an adult now. Despite conventional attitudes about young people and minorities not being in the “real world,” much of your daily life involves very serious and important decisions. You manage your finances; you are taking charge of your education and career; you are doing your best, every day, to improve yourself. In essence, you are an adult. Your vote, then, matters most because you are finally able to cast it. Go voice your opinions on issues, policies, candidates, and referendums. Stand up for what you believe in. Vote!
You can change things. Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see. Often times, we voice our concerns to elected officials, but if we aren’t voting, our concerns may not matter at all to them. Voting can actually give you the credibility to make your concerns a top priority for legislators.
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