Category Politics
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Well folks today is the day. Today we'll find out who will lead us for the next four years, and once again we'll prove that our system of government works. We will select a new person to be our president, and in January 2009 we'll once again have a peaceful transfer of power from one person to another. It truly is amazing.

But, like my grandfather (a World War II veteran, he was a bottom turret gunner on a B-24 Liberator) used to say, "If you don't exercise your right to vote, shut the hell up. You don't get to complain if you don't vote." He took his civic responsibility as an American citizen very seriously, and he instilled in me a sense of duty to participate in this process by voting.

And I hope you have that sense of civic duty as well.

Time for a Tangent
When I began thinking about this post, I decided I wanted to put something in here about the right to vote and the U.S. Constitution. I did find something about it, but it is not what I thought I would find. While there are some qualifications mentioned about the right to vote in the U.S. Constitution, this is an area that is left to the states to legislate. Remember that the Constitution, overall, tries to leave as much as possible up to the states to govern in the way the state sees fit; this happens to be one of those areas left to the states. According to a great site I found about what is and isn't in the Constitution, it says:

The Constitution contains many phrases, clauses, and amendments detailing ways people cannot be denied the right to vote. You cannot deny the right to vote because of race or gender. Citizens of Washington DC can vote for President; 18-year-olds can vote; you can vote even if you fail to pay a poll tax. The Constitution also requires that anyone who can vote for the "most numerous branch" of their state legislature can vote for House members and Senate members.

Note that in all of this, though, the Constitution never explicitly ensures the right to vote, as it does the right to speech, for example. It does require that Representatives be chosen and Senators be elected by "the People," and who comprises "the People" has been expanded by the aforementioned amendments several times. Aside from these requirements, though, the qualifications for voters are left to the states. And as long as the qualifications do not conflict with anything in the Constitution, that right can be withheld. For example, in Texas, persons declared mentally incompetent and felons currently in prison or on probation are denied the right to vote. It is interesting to note that though the 26th Amendment requires that 18-year-olds must be able to vote, states can allow persons younger than 18 to vote, if they chose to.

Interesting, isn't it?

So, today is the day, folks. Today is the day that we choose the next President, and that our country has an opportunity to right many wrongs, to lift up those who need it, and to bring the United States back to being respected in the world community of countries.

BTW, this is true, no matter whom you support. Everyone should vote, whether you're Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Whig, Tory, Green, and so on. The people in many countries would do anything to have this right, and you owe it to them and to your fellow Americans to vote.

So, brave the long lines, bring an umbrella if you think it will rain, and wear a thick coat if it is cold. Stand in that line, and make a difference. Remember, the 2000 election put Bush 43 into power because of a difference of 536 votes (in Florida). Every vote counts, and you should be counted too.

Thanks, and I'll talk to you soon.

Rock