American Hope
As you know, November 4th is Election Day. Will you be voting that day, or will you find an excuse not to? The excuses are always plentiful. No Time. Polling location is inconvenient. Have to work. Don’t want to stand in line with the kids. Blah, blah, blah.
One of the most common heard excuses is, “My vote doesn’t count or won’t matter in the big picture.” It’s a seemingly valid argument that holds no water and only serves as a lame attempt to cover the excuse giver’s apathy. How many others will stay away on the 4th thinking the same thing? What changes are missed each election because thousands are thinking the same thing and staying home? If they were all to rise up together and vote, what power they would have.
Now, I can understand the apathy. I live in the reddest state in the union. When I enter that booth and vote for Obama, I know I will be in the minority and I am fairly certain that my state’s electoral votes will go for McCain. But if I don’t stand up and let my voice be heard, how can I ever hope for change?
Even when the right thing to do is painfully obvious, change in America can be slow. Read about the women who were arrested and jailed and beaten for the simple act of picketing the White House for the right to vote. Remember all that the African Americans went through from fighting to be considered men and citizens to literacy tests and grandfather clauses. These groups fought for years, suffering all types of abuses, many even died. And for what? For the right to be heard, for the right to put a check mark in a box, for the right to stand up and say this is what is important to me, this is what I believe America should be.
Change was a long time coming for these groups. But it came. Why? They did not offer excuses when they saw opportunities to stand up and fight. Sure the odds were against them. They could have just as easily told themselves that things were never going to change, no one was going to listen to them, so why bother. Those who thought that then were wrong. Those who think it now are wrong.
Voting is one of the many tools we can use to create change. Unless you stand up and fight for the issues you care about, the change you are seeking will never come. Sure, change may be slow, at times it may seem impossible, but the great American hope is that change is possible. In America we can always fight for what we think is right and we can always, always, always carry the hope that we will succeed in that fight.
So, this November 4th, remember those who died for the right that you might cast aside because of a line, or bad weather, or whatever. Be Heard. Even if you’re the only blue in a sea of red, or the only red in a sea of blue. Be Heard. Battles are fought all the time, whether it be for President, or Prop 8, or giving more money to the zoo, or fighting for the right to vote. Whatever the cause, whatever the issue. Be heard. Fight. Never give up hope.
Vote.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Very well put.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Dave and I got our mail in ballots last week. I know who I’m voting for, but its all the Props that are making me crazy. I’ve got to sit down and read them all so I don’t do the wrong thing.
Here is my 2 cents on the election. I don’t think that either choice is that great. And I don’t buy into all the “change” verbage being spouted by both candidates. I don’t think the president even has the ability to make “changes”. They all have big ideas that are never followed through on.
I am voting for McCain. My biggest reason. He is Pro-Life. In my eyes, at least he has that going for him. I have very strong Pro Life feelings. As an adopted child, I could have easily have been aborted. Even back then. I am grateful to a scared young mother who chose to let me live. Maybe my life hasn’t been that important to anyone, but at least I was given that life. I cannot in right conscience vote for someone who is ok with aborting children. Even if he thinks he has other great ideas for the country. I just can’t do it.
Anyway…just my 2 cents. Isn’t our country great that we can all have different ideas and opinions and are all able to express them! Yay America!!
October 24th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Nice article Strude. I wish everyone could read it.
I know that I am voting for Obama- It has a lot to do with Sen. McCain’s record. I want to correct Drama Mama on one thing….Mr Obama is pro-life but does support a womans right to choose. The same right your mother had when she made her decision and the same right that Obama’s mother had when she made her decision. That is the key here.
McCain is pro-life only when it comes to abortion. He isn’t much in other ways. If he were really worried about the importance of life you would realize that the worthless war that he is so in love with has killed tens of thousands of innocent Iraq citizens and almost 5000 of our own troops. For what? If he had come out and admitted, like a good portion of other Senators have, that they were misled and the war is unjust I would have more respect for him. Problem is, he hasn’t and he intends to keep the troops over there for some time. More innocent people have been killed because of this than all abortions could ever add up to. Supporting our troops means a lot more to me than slapping a bumper sticker on a car to feel better about sending innocent men and women to their graves.
I would suggest that anyone that wants to learn the facts about either of the two candidates would visit FactCheck.Org- Its a non-partisan website that helps to clear the mud between what they both say and what the truth is.
October 24th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Ooooo….a debate!
Unfortunately, I am not as well versed as I should be to fully participate. But here’s a thought…
Let’s go ahead and legalize Crack and Meth. Let people “choose” to tweak or not. When something is wrong, it’s wrong. There are some things people shouldn’t be given the opportunity to “choose”.
I have a son that just turned 18. I am just as worried about the war as anyone else. But if you think Obama can just jump into office and end the war…it won’t happen. It sounds good though, right? It might just win him the election. But we’ll see how well he can back up all his big promises. My opinion is that the majority of politicians are liars. Obama and McCain included. Or, maybe, they do have good intentions, but once they get into office, they find out the real reasons behind what is going on and are as stuck as all the others who proceded them.
October 25th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Drama Mama- You are correct. There are some things that people should not have the opportunity to choose such as what another person’s choices should be.
One of the greatest freedoms we were afforded by the founding fathers is “Freedom of Choice”.
I simply don’t feel like it is within my rights to take that away from someone else when it comes to their decisions. Maybe you feel like that is okay. That’s your choice to feel that way. I get it. We’ll never agree but I would never try to take that choice away from you. I only corrected you on Obama’s stance and that his mother had to make her choice.
October 25th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Murder is murder.
If you kill the baby after it is born, it is murder.
If you kill the baby before is born it is murder.
October 25th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Depends on your definition of when a life begins. We can argue this to no end but you will never change my mind and will never change your mind.
Isn’t it great that we live in the United States where we have freedom of choice to choose.
If you want we can sit down at the next family reunion and discuss.
October 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Nice post. Very true.