That is the most important message this election year. You will hear about the candidates and the issues through the media, but if you are not registered to vote and participate in the process you are doing a disservice to yourself and America. We know the system is not perfect, but it s all we got right now and it is vitally important that you participate in the democratic process. A democracy is designed so that the will of the people is carried forth by those representatives elected to office by the people. The problem is that it only works for the people who are involved in the process, the people who actually vote.
If you have enough money, you can attend a political fundraiser and express your desires and concerns directly to the politicians. For a handsome sum, you can influence (lobby) legislation that will benefit you or your organization. But the founders of democracy have provided a tool that helps to level the playing field when it comes to dealing with politics and politicians. Your vote is the most powerful tool in the political process and the future of America.
If voting is the most powerful tool in the political process, you may ask how did George Bush become President without winning the majority of the popular vote in the 2000 election? That occurred because there s a problem in our system that selects the President. Without getting into too much detail, the Electoral College actually selects the President and has been since 1789. But that system, detailed in the Constitution, has out lived its usefulness and needs to be eliminated. This system can only be changed by the politicians that YOU vote into office. YOU have to make sure that they understand that the reason they have your vote is to bring about this change. And if they can t deliver, find another candidate that can and vote for them. Politicians are public servants and are tasked with carrying out the will of the public. But the VOTING PUBLIC are the ones to whom they actually listen. If they can`t count your vote then you don`t count.
It is imperative that you participate in the democratic process. Teddy Roosevelt said, Speak softly, but carry a big stick. Your big stick in the political process is your vote.
The Civil Rights Movement understood the power of the vote. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. along with the NAACP and other organizations initiated mass voter registration drives. Without the power of the vote they would not have been able to break the grip of segregation in this country.
So get involved, register to vote, listen to the candidates and use the power of your vote to determine America s future. And if you don t happen to have $5,000 dollars to buy a plate at a fund raising dinner, that s okay. Remember, campaigns run on money but elections are won with your vote.
