Our nation is a constitutional republic. A republic is a representative democracy—that is all citizens don’t vote on governmental issues; we elect representatives to vote for us. A constitutional republic is a republic that is based on the rule of law—and the law is the constitution. It’s the constitution that we veterans, and most public officials, pledge to support and defend. What we are defending is the right of all American citizens to vote—and way too many American citizens, for one reason or another, don’t vote—they just take that right that we fought to protect and toss it in the garbage. In the election this November, I’ll be surprised if half of eligible voters actually vote.
Worse, too many who do vote will vote stupid. By that I mean they will vote on a single issue. When you hear someone say something like, “I always vote Democratic or Republican, or I always vote pro-life or pro-choice, or I always vote pro-gun or pro-green” these folks have decide to check their brain at the door and let someone else decide for them who they will vote for. For me personally, the big three issues for this year are 1. The horrible state of our nation’s economy. 2. The war we should be fighting with all our resources against Islamic State, and 3. The horrible way our government and the VA are treating our veterans.
So, as a responsible citizen, I have to examine all of the candidates running for national office—in my case, one US Senator and one Congress-critter—and make sure I know where they stand on all these issues—and make sure they know where I stand on them, too.
Then I have to do the same, at least in the economic area, for all my state and local officials. No single party or issue group can do this for me; I have to get off the dime, get to work, use my brain, and evaluate the candidates.
Please, folks, do act. And encourage others to actually care about our nation. Not to do so is to spit in the face of every veteran who ever served.
Election day is Tuesday, 4 Nov. Our nation desperately needs all citizens to vote and to vote intelligently. Can America count on you?
