The right to vote: 'We have a real duty to our nation'
I have heard many people say they can't wait for this presidential election to be over. I certainly get that. This has been one of the most controversial elections ever.
The two big-party presidential candidates are so wildly different, in terms of their positions on the issues, and they each come with so much negative baggage, that the yelling back and forth between the campaigns and their supporters has frequently devolved into hateful, personal, and even outrageous attacks. This election has not always brought out the best in our democracy.
The fact that this election season has been a bit of a circus and a side show has detracted from the fact that there are real, important, and consequential issues at stake.
I am hoping that, come Election Day, we, as the citizens of this great democracy, are able to focus on the issues, and not on the circus. We have a very real duty to our nation, to ourselves, and to our children, to vote responsibly, and wisely.
I, for one, always look forward to Election Day. Others who came before us literally fought and died for our right to vote. It is one of the most important rights we have. There are MANY people across this planet who WISH they could vote for the local and national candidates of their choice.
Wherever you stand on the issues and the candidates, I hope you take this right seriously, and I hope you vote.
Look at it this way: if we don't vote, we don't really have the right to complain about the outcome!
Am I looking forward to this election season being over? Sure. But what I'm REALLY looking forward to is VOTING.
After that, I hope we can all move beyond the vitriol of the campaigns, and come together to keep this nation moving forward.