If you kindly grant me a few minutes once a month to read this column, the following words are not for you. If you are a regular reader of The Republic, you also probably don’t need to read the rest of this.
But I am sure you know someone who needs to read it.
Go grab a pair of scissors and a highlighter. Now, cut out my column and send it to one of your relatives. Irritate one of your friends or neighbors with it. My guess is that it should go to a younger member of society. Before you put it in an envelope, highlight the important parts.
The rest of this column is for them.
Go vote! Make sure that you are registered. Then do it. The deadline to register to vote in Indiana is Oct. 5, but don’t wait. Register and vote now! There is no good excuse.
We enjoy the rights and benefits of living in the United States. We are citizens, so those benefits and rights come with responsibilities. It is part of our duties as citizens — just like paying taxes, registering for the draft, or serving on a jury.
If you are disillusioned, I get it. It is frustrating when things don’t turn out how we had hoped. Yes, there is a lot of corruption and inequalities in our system. Our government isn’t perfect, but it is far better than the alternatives. We have a right that billions of people around the world do not enjoy.
One vote can make a difference. During the last municipal election, one vote determined the outcome of a city council race, deciding the balance of power on the city council.
People died for our right to vote. Some of our best and bravest sacrificed their lives at places like Gettysburg, Bastogne, and Bataan. Sometimes their families never knew what happened to them. Through their grief, they sacrificed for us as well. Voting is my small way to honor those who gave so much.
Others gave their lives in Neshoba County, Mississippi, for our right to vote. That is where Civil Rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were murdered in 1964 while trying to register voters. The next year, protestors risked their lives and endured beatings for the right to vote on a march from Selma to Montgomery.
Women fought for decades for the right to vote. During that long journey, activists overcame violence and scorn. During the Vietnam War, 18-year-olds fought to lower the voting age. After all, they were fighting and dying for our country.
The right to vote has been so difficult to obtain and keep, we shouldn’t give it up easily. And certainly not because of inconvenience or cynicism. I don’t like other people deciding things for me. If you don’t vote, you are letting others decide your fate.
Any effort to disenfranchise a citizen runs counter to our principles as a nation. There are foreign powers trying to interfere with our election. There are politicians who don’t want you to vote. They are counting on you to stay home. Ruin their day. Go vote.
Early voting centers and voting by mail are powerful tools in including more people in the process. Work, transportation issues, and health problems are some of the biggest obstacles to getting to the polls on election day. This has made it especially difficult for the poor, the elderly, and people from rural areas to vote.
Some politicians have cast doubt on mail-in voting, calling it a “hoax” or a “scam.” Meanwhile, these same politicians voted by mail. I have faith in the process. Voter fraud is extraordinarily rare. We have been using mail-in ballots since the Civil War.
I have even more faith in the process here in Bartholomew County. The Association of Indiana Counties recently recognized the work of County Clerk Jay Phelps and his staff. They efficiently mailed, collected, and counted thousands of our ballots during the primary election. I am sure they will repeat their performance for the general election.
Voting matters. You can make a difference. I said it before, but it is worth repeating, you must register to vote in Indiana before Oct. 5. Go to vote.org for more complete information.
Vote for those who came before us and sacrificed so much. Vote for those who could not vote before and those who still cannot. Vote for yourself for today. If you don’t, if you give up on our system, tyranny wins.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
