October 30, 2008

Since we are just days away from the election, it is a good time to discuss voting.

The right to vote, to have your voice heard, is one of the things for which our fore fathers fought. One of the reasons why the Declaration of Independence was signed was because our founding fathers wanted a “say” in how the country was run. In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he says, “A government of the people, by the people, for the people” (1863). To break that down, everyone should get a say in the government.

The fifteenth amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1870. It says, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” All men were given the right to vote.

Thanks to the work of Susan B. Anthony and other suffragists, fifty years later women were given the right to vote. The nineteenth amendment says, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”

Yet another amendment to our Constitution deals with voting. In 1971, the twenty-sixth amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen in national elections.

All of those changes to the Constitution so that more people could vote, yet in the 2004 Presidential election only 64 percent of Americans voted. What will happen in 2008? Is voting a right? Is it an honor? Is it a privilege?

Valentin is a gentleman I work with. He left his country years ago, emigrated to the United States and became a United States citizen in 2006. This will be his first opportunity to vote for president, so I asked his thoughts about the upcoming election. He expressed concern over the fact that Americans have the right to vote, but so many choose not to. He said, “Do they not realize it is an honor to vote?” When he lived in his former country, citizens were allowed to vote, but there was only one political party, so there wasn’t much of a choice. He said Americans should open their eyes, look behind the scenes to get the story on each candidate and then vote for the one who is the closest to your own views. People should go and “make a difference.”

Election day is just a few days away. Take the advice of Valentin - look at what each candidate stands for and choose the one that best represents your views. When you wake up Tuesday morning, realize it is your day “to make a difference.” Go to the polls and let your voice be heard.

And, until next week, keep dreaming.



http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am15.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am19.html
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am26.html