America, land of the free. The country where the voices of the common man are heard either individually or as a collective voice. We have the freedom to say what we want, when we want. We are accorded so much freedom of expression that we tend to take it for granted. In fact, most of us do not seem to realize that for all the freedoms we enjoy, there is only one small favor that our country asks for in return. That favor is to go to the polling centers to vote whenever necessary. The act of voting is not a privelege but a right of every American citizen, and yet very few people seem to understand its importance and relevance in our everyday lives. Voting is not a task that is done on a whim. It is a task that one must take seriously and accomplish with great pride and dignity. Indeed, voting is one of the most important tasks assigned to us as citizens of this great land. But why you might ask, must I vote when there are millions out there who will vote anyway. Why is my vote that important? Each vote is important because the government must hear the voices of the citizenry. Each vote shows that you care not only for your community, but for your country as well. Vote because you want to have a say in who will lead your community or the country. Vote because of the freedom we all experience, all the benefits we enjoy from the government, all stemmed from the fact we, as a collective group, exercise the right to have our voices heard through the ballot.
As I mentioned earlier, each vote is important because it signifies the belief and support of the people for a certain cause that affects our community or country at large. Regardless if it be for a national election like the presidency or a local vote for a proposition, people all have opinions that need to be heard. Those opinions and voices are heard with the cast of a ballot. By voting, we dictate what direction our government shall take and for how long. Do not ever forget that the government is there to serve us, not the other way around. Therefore, telling them how we feel about the way things are being run is important. We can only do that by voting to show our support or disgust on certain local or national issues and personalities.
When we choose not to exercise our right to vote, we put the future of our country at risk. We could have probably dodged the financial crisis bullet and the war in Iraq had everyone just turned out to vote back in the year 2000. That election came down to a mere handful of votes which showed all of us that indifference hurts not only individuals, but the whole country. People were indifferent and thought that their votes did not matter, now, we are reaping the rewards of that indifference. We are all paying for the error collectively. While if everyone had just taken the time to cast their votes back then, maybe, just maybe, the financial meltdown we are in right now could have been averted. Maybe 9/11 may not even have happened. If only people had taken their right to vote seriously. Last year, everyone felt the need to vote and a major change happened in our country. We have set our country on the path towards rehabilitation because we all took the time to vote and let our voices be heard. That is how important the act of voting is. That we can collectively and educated show our support, disgust and contempt for a person, part, or cause by simply voting pro or con.
We have to remember that the vote we cast will help to directly shape and build our nation. It will further dictate what freedoms and curtailments we shall experience and set in stone for the next generations to follow. Since the leaders we elect have the power to restrict our social freedoms or protect our freedoms. we must ensure that the people elected to office reflect our sentiments. Only by casting votes can we be sure to get accurate representation within the government. Those who care about their freedom and country must constantly be vigilant and vote in order to reflect the majority opinion. Each vote we cast will help shape our nation. It will prepare the future generations to either continue down the path of leadership that we have laid out for them or, change everything we did because of the repercussions that our votes will present to them by then.
Without the power of the ballot, our country will cease to function properly. Our vote is important to ensure the smooth running of our country and community. The votes cast will impact who shall lead our country and in what direction. Our most basic freedoms and the future freedom and security that we shall experience and leave as a legacy for our children and grandchildren all depend upon the voting decisions that we make today. For even though we cannot predict the future, we can at least lay the foundation for the future that we envision for the coming generations. That foundation laying can only be accomplished by making sure that we properly exercise our right to vote each and every time that we are called upon to do so on the local and national levels.
References
- Ninomiya, Kent. (N.A.). What is the importance of voting in America?. eHow. Web.
- The Pennsylvania Department of State’s Online Voting Information and Resource Center. Importance of voting. VotesPA Voting Rights and Election Integrity.