By Mary Whitfill

There are a lot of things that bother me, as many of you know if you have been reading my blogs over the years. I don’t like people who avoid controversial issues, I don’t like when the sun doesn’t come out before I leave the house and I don’t like people who, when given the opportunity, don’t vote.

When our government was established how every many years ago, it was the life and death goal of many new Americans to make sure that the American people had a say in their government. These people dedicated their lives to ensuring that we would live in a country where the government never forgot that they were created both for and by the people. What kind of people would we be if we didn’t take advantage of this?  We have an opportunity that most countries don’t – we have to opportunity to tell the people in power what they need to do.  We have the power to BOSS POLITICAL LEADERS AROUND.

Voting in any type of election, from the recent CISD taxation election to today’s Texas governor election gives us the opportunity to make a difference, to voice an opinion that could completely blow the cliche American system out of the water. And come on, who doesn’t want to make a difference? When asked 30 years from now if you supported the election of the first African American president of the United Sates, don’t you want to be able to give an answer? I don’t know about you, but “oh, I didn’t vote” will not be my mediocre response.

In my opinion, one of the scariest statistics available to the American public is that of the rapidly declining voter turnout in the United States.

But what is even more disturbing is that for the next six years I will be forced to listen to the complaints of the millions of Americans that didn’t go out and vote for the 37 seats up for election in Congress today. People, if you don’t like it – change it! You have that ability! You have  that power! Don’t give it up because it’s Tuesday and new episodes of Fringe and 90210 are airing. There will be re-runs, but there will never be an opportunity for you to go back in time and cast your vote.

Exercise your power, rock the vote.