March 29, 2012 at 2:11 p.m.

Choose to vote


By Steph Carley-

If you're hungry but you choose not to eat, it's your fault you're hungry. If you choose not to vote and complain about the person who won, it's your fault for not voting. Granted, there is no guarantee that the person you vote for will win, but at least you gave your opinion of who should win by voting. If you don't vote, then you shouldn't complain about anything the leader does or does not do.
Voting is extremely important in America. It's part of what makes America. We the people are given the right to elect our leaders to represent us. All of the decisions our leaders make, whether it be national or local, from health to money, the decisions they make impact our lives. If there's a leader you think represents you and your beliefs or needs best, then I suggest you get involved and vote.
People who don't vote often say they don't vote because one vote won't matter. But it does matter. If every person thinks their vote doesn't matter, and this leads them not to vote, that adds up to a lot of votes. Votes count even more in local elections. So if you really want Todd Novak or Linda Pittz to be your new mayor, make your vote, because it does count.
Another reason people don't vote is because they don't care about social issues. Okay, so you don't care about social issues. But I bet you care about how much you pay in taxes or how the money you pay in is being spent. Vote for a leader who is spending the money how you feel it should be spent and keep track of the decisions they want to make because it may or may not lead to property tax increases.
Think about it. How many people throughout history couldn't vote? African Americans, women, the poor, and many other minorities didn't have the right to vote. They wanted to vote, they fought to vote. Today, we get to vote and people choose not to. It's crazy. For so many years people battled tooth and nail for their right to vote and now people are turning a blind eye to politics and important issues that are impacted by who is elected.
Don't just vote for yourself; vote for your future, your childrens' future, or even your students' or patients' future. Re-member if you don't vote, don't complain.
DODGEVILLE

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