Oct. 28. My absentee ballot is marked and Election Day is only 10 days away. I'm really tired of the stupid negative advertising and the recorded phone messages. I want it to be November 8.
I'm so tired of hearing about the bi-partisanship in this country. Political issues in this country are so polarized. Being in the middle is not accepted. You're either red or blue. Remember when it was you were either with us or against us?
When I was a kid there was a strong anti-communism sentiment. It was palpable. Our country did not want the evils of communism to spread any further than it already had. We even forced our young men to participate in a police action to stem the tide of this evil philosophy. There was no getting around it. If you drew a low number, you earned a tour in southeast Asia while the rest of us watched from home.
If you don't have any memories of the draft, it was very scary for any family whose son was approaching the age of 18. Today, there is no draft. There is no burning your draft card, hoping for 4-F, going CO or hiding in Canada. Most importantly, the men and women who serve in the armed forces of our country do so because it is their choice. These young people freely choose to serve their country in an effort to preserve the freedoms we enjoy each day. It's an extremely self-less act.
The only lesson I remember from my catechism classes was "with freedom comes responsibility". In this day of the internet, I don't think one has to physically visit other countries to appreciate the benefits of being an American. And the right to vote was not something that all men had from the very start of this country. When those young men went off to Vietnam back in the '60s, they went silently; because they were under twenty-one and could not vote. When my grandmother came to this country, she could not vote either. The right to vote and the freedom to cast it are not to be taken lightly. It is why those young men and women chose service.
I didn't choose that kind of service. And I'm glad my 26-year-old son is teaching sixth grade in Colorado instead of fighting in Iraq. But that doesn't change the gratitude I feel toward those who wear the uniform of this country and their families.
Martin Luther King said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
So you don't really have an opinion about citizens who enter this country illegally, or you don't want to get involved in deciding about single-sex couples or school issues and you're tired of those annoying phone calls, too, and feel pretty numb due to all the negative advertising.
The truth is, things matter. It's vital to keep caring and not be lulled into complacency. We all live busy lives, and it takes effort to educate yourself. Just do it. Along with freedom comes responsibility. Living in a country where people have died so you can vote and freely speak your mind is a privilege. Remember those innocent people who died because there are those out there who believe that we just don't care. Take the time, start to care.
Don't you think that ad where the soldiers are arriving in some airport and the people start clapping is cool?
Well, here's a news flash. Vote. It's your duty as well as a way to join the clapping. It's the definitive way of saying, "Thank you. I'm doing that thing you're fighting to preserve," to those who serve. It shows those who think we don't care anymore they're wrong. Believe it or not, the world is watching. It's your time to act.