Millions will vote but yours is the one that matters most
Commentary by Maj. Rick Bailey
Georgetown University
10/29/2004 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- How many times have you heard someone tell you their vote (or yours) really doesn’t count?
In the 2000 presidential election, approximately 105 million Americans cast their votes in one of the closest races in this country’s history. One hundred and five million votes may seem like a lot, but consider this: Way more than that many votes were cast in the last season of the popular TV show “American Idol,” with more than 65 million votes cast during the final night alone.
I don’t want to make the claim that we as a society care more about the next American idol than our next American president, but these figures should give us cause for concern.
More than 205 million Americans were of legal voting age in 2000, so our voter turnout nationwide in the last presidential election was just over 51 percent. However, in many nations in Europe and South America, it is not uncommon to see voter turnout rates in the 70-90 percent range. This begs the question: If the United States is the greatest role model of freedom and democracy in the world, why aren’t more of its citizens voting?
Now consider our unique position in the military. All of us -- active duty, Guard, Reserve, civil service and family members -- share a common experience. We dedicate ourselves to defending the American way of life. And, of all the freedoms and privileges inherent in that way of life, certainly one of the most important is the opportunity to choose our leaders.
Think for a minute about the responsibilities we grant these leaders, even on the local level. For example, in many cases we elect school board members who determine the direction of public schooling, or county sheriffs who we entrust to protect our homes and families. Every elected official, from a city council member to the president of the United States, makes decisions that have an incredible impact on our daily lives.
The election on Nov. 2 is a special one. Several topics are being debated that have been discussed in virtually every recent presidential campaign: taxes, Social Security and health care, to name a few. But the attacks of September 11 and the war in Iraq have thrust national security onto center stage and made it the key issue of this election.
So if we say our vote doesn’t matter in the presidential race, consider the daunting authority and responsibility of our nation’s commander in chief. We as civilian and military professionals, along with our family members, involved in the profession of arms, are in a unique position to understand the gravity of that responsibility. Obviously as members of the military community, we have a vested interest in choosing the person who makes the ultimate decision on whether or not to commit troops to battle.
That alone should convince us all to vote. But now think about the fact that in the next four years, the president will probably be responsible for nominating one or two justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. Besides their role as commander in chief, this may be a president’s most serious responsibility. The individuals appointed to the nation’s highest court serve for life (under good behavior), so their impact will be felt long after our next president leaves office.
If the election of 2000 taught us anything, it is that every vote DOES count. Right now, only about half of Americans who are of legal voting age are doing their civic duty to vote. But as a member of the military community, you dedicate your life to protecting that freedom.
As such, you have a unique perspective. You know what it means to sacrifice for something greater than yourself. You know what it means to be separated from those you love because of your commitment to an ideal. You know what it means to risk everything to protect your neighbors, your friends, your community and your nation.
On Nov. 2, take the time and participate in this democracy you so bravely defend. Your dedication to your profession will ensure our democracy’s survival, but your vote will ensure it continues to thrive. |
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