| In a matter of days, millions of Americans will honor the right gained through the sacrifices and deaths of our forebears by participating in the most important part of the democratic process — a free election. If this year’s turnout is consistent with the elections of 1998, as is predicted, 65 percent of citizens aged 65-74 will vote, as well as 60 percent of those aged 55-64; 53 percent between the ages of 45-54; and 44 percent from ages 35-44. Unfortunately, on November 7th only 19 percent of my generation, in the 18-24 range, will take time away from movies, school and shopping to cast their vote. Why? Well, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report on the 1998 elections, almost 39 percent of those who did not vote said they were too busy and 13 percent said they were just not interested. But it goes deeper than that.
Today’s college students have lived during a time of unparalleled prosperity and relative peace: We have seen the end of the Cold War, the fall of Communism and the rise of democracies around the world. We havn’t witnessed the reality of war and tyranny or made personal sacrifices for the nation in the same way our parents and grandparents did. Most of us have never seen military transport planes unload the flag-draped caskets of brave solders, sailors, airmen and marines who died for our freedom.
The peace, the progress, the prosperity and tranquility have harbored a politically apathetic generation whose freedoms have not only not been threatened, but are often taken for granted. Don't get me wrong, I don’t condemn my fellow students for the environment in which we’ve been raised. We mean well. We just haven’t been convinced that "freedom isn’t free." We’re a busy generation - studying, reading the hundreds of pages assigned by college professors, writing mid-term papers, working several jobs to pay exorbitant school bills and setting future education and career goals. It doesn’t help that the past 8 years have been marked by vagrant deceptions and poor leadership in Washington. Plagued by vivid memories of the most corrupt administration in America’s history and the second impeachment of a U.S. President, many of us are cynical.
The antidote is historical. Our constitutional system of government transcends the last 8 years. We face issues today that will affect us far into our retirement: Social Security, national defense, American sovereignty, and the right to keep and bear arms, just to name a few. As a group - 23 million strong - we have consequential voting power. But if we don’t vote, we’re entursting our future and the future of this nation to those who will make the time to participate in this extremely pivotal election.
In the United States, the power to govern doesn’t flow from Washington, D.C., but to it; power resides with the governed. Citizens hold the power; power exercised with each vote. As November 7th approaches, I urge you to make a difference. Please vote. It’s our future.
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