Today is a day of sorrow, a day of remembrance, a day of resolve. A day to think on the events of two years ago and decide what they mean to you. But more than anything else, today is a day to reflect on what it means to be an American and a member of a democracy.
As a citizen of this country, you have a voice in how the country is run and who is running it. But how many of us are using that? In the hotly debated 2000 national election, a mere 67.5% of registered voters and 51.3% of eligible voters cast their votes for the presidential election. Consider that the citizens of America, one of the closest things to a true democracy in the world, barely turned out over halfway to exercise their rights; meanwhile, Iraq, for instance, is liberated from an oppressive dictatorship only to be plunged into anarchy and chaos under military rule. The citizens of countries like Iraq risk their lives for the right to make decisions; meanwhile, we've been sitting on it for 50-200 years (depending on your status), and barely even utilizing it.
So if you truly respect our soldiers and the history of our country, if you think that democracy is something worth fighting or dying for, if you want to have a voice in the way your life is run, then get out their and vote. Pro-choice, pro-life, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, anti-immigration, pro-school voucher, anti-war, pro-environment, whatever - the important thing is that you make your voice heard. We have a responsiblity to our country, to our neighbors, and to ourselves to participate in democracy - so don't fall silent when our country is in a dark place.
Thank you for your time.
-Reuben Poling
PS: I'm no big fan of thecurrent administration; something of the opposite. But this goes beyond partisanship - if we want to make this country work the way it's supposed to, we need to use our power.
As a citizen of this country, you have a voice in how the country is run and who is running it. But how many of us are using that? In the hotly debated 2000 national election, a mere 67.5% of registered voters and 51.3% of eligible voters cast their votes for the presidential election. Consider that the citizens of America, one of the closest things to a true democracy in the world, barely turned out over halfway to exercise their rights; meanwhile, Iraq, for instance, is liberated from an oppressive dictatorship only to be plunged into anarchy and chaos under military rule. The citizens of countries like Iraq risk their lives for the right to make decisions; meanwhile, we've been sitting on it for 50-200 years (depending on your status), and barely even utilizing it.
So if you truly respect our soldiers and the history of our country, if you think that democracy is something worth fighting or dying for, if you want to have a voice in the way your life is run, then get out their and vote. Pro-choice, pro-life, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, anti-immigration, pro-school voucher, anti-war, pro-environment, whatever - the important thing is that you make your voice heard. We have a responsiblity to our country, to our neighbors, and to ourselves to participate in democracy - so don't fall silent when our country is in a dark place.
Thank you for your time.
-Reuben Poling
PS: I'm no big fan of thecurrent administration; something of the opposite. But this goes beyond partisanship - if we want to make this country work the way it's supposed to, we need to use our power.
