Get Out And Vote

  • Monday, April 7, 2014

What started off as a conversation with two young people, one in her early 20s and the other in her early 30s morphed into this opinion article. 

We were discussing some political issues and I said you need to get out and vote. “I said make your voice heard.” It was then that these two young ladies informed me that neither had ever voted.  They said their votes don’t count anyway to which I said “I am in my upper 40s and have not missed a vote since the time I turned 18.” I doesn’t matter if you think your vote doesn’t count or not but it matters that you voice your opinion by voting.

People of color and women battled in courts of law and demonstrated for years for the right to vote. Blood was shed over the rights to vote but there are so many people in this country that don’t take advantage of that right. 

I saw in the newspaper the other day that people in Afghanistan are standing in line for hours just to vote. Then I was watching one of the news channels and see people there in line stretched for blocks and blocks to vote. They stand in line in spite of the dangers they face from opposing insurgents.

So people in this country have fought and died for the right to vote but very seldom do. For the most part less than 30 percent of the registered voters get out and actually vote. That’s less than 30 percent of the registered voters, what about the rest of the citizens who are eligible but don’t even register. We don’t have any bombs going off or people shooting at us or threatening our families for casting votes. So why don’t Americans get out and let their voice be heard? When you stop and think about it, it really is sad. 

Our liberties are something we should hold dear to us and be involved with on a regular basis. The way I look at its voting is a privilege but it is also your civic duty. I don’t care if you are Democrat or a Republican, just be involved.

Get out and vote and let your voice be heard. If you don’t vote, don’t complain.

Mike Cox
Opinion
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