Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Use Your Voice

Thirty Days of Thankfulness, Day 8

Today is Election Day.

Today our country will choose a new leader.

The United States has been led by 43 presidents to date. They haven't all been great; they haven't all been terrible.  How many do you know by name?  What do you remember them for?

There is a general ranking of greatest to worst presidents in history.  At the top of that list are Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1788, only 1.8% of the U.S. population voted, and George Washington became the first president. In 1860, a whopping 81.2% of the population voted, and Abraham Lincoln became president. In 1932, 56.9% of the U.S. population hit the polls and voted Franklin D. Roosevelt as our president. Among some of the worst presidents in history were George W. Bush, Herbert Hoover, and Warren G. Harding. These so-called "worst" presidents were voted into office by the American people. The bad news is, sometimes the candidate whom we feel is best to lead our country ends up doing a terrible job of it. The good news is, every four years we have a choice. When they're bad, they're awful, but when they're good, they're great.



This election year is a tumultuous one.  Tempers have flared among the candidates and among us, the people.  We have a gift in our country.  We have the right to choose who we want to be our leader.  Individually, does the person we vote for always win?  Not necessarily.  But when the majority of a country votes someone into office, that's got to mean something, right?



We are all Americans.  We all come from ancestors who chose to live in this country.  Those people came here looking for something new, and better, and different.  They wanted a place to grow roots and raise their families and they wanted a say in their futures.



Our leaders of this country have come from all walks of life.  They are fathers and grandfathers and brothers and uncles and teachers and lawyers and war heroes and businessmen and yes, even actors.  They have been our motivators and our voice, in good times and bad.  They have marched us into battle and brought us out of fires. These leaders know that their voice is the peoples' voice.



Regardless of who our current leader is, or who will lead us in the future, we still have responsibility.  We are the land of the free and the home of the brave.  We teach our children to play fair and to be kind and to be honest.  We teach them to stand up for what is right, and to fight for the things that are important.  The best way to teach them is to lead by example.  They are watching your every move.  They see how you treat your waitress and your grocery clerk and that guy that just cut you off on the freeway.  They watch what you eat and how you dress and how you treat your friends.



For all of the great leaders we have voted into office, there is another side.  Not everyone who voted in 1860 voted for Abraham Lincoln. Did you know that he received only 39.8% of the popular vote?  That means that over 60% of America didn't vote for him.  Imagine if Abraham Lincoln wasn't in our history books...



Sometimes all it takes is a little bravery.  Stand up for what you believe in.  Chances are, you're not the only one.  Sometimes, one person becomes two people, and those two people become four and think of how strong four people are compared to one.  Voting is a right we have as Americans.  Voting is your voice.  Use your voice.  Do your research and head to the polls.  Vote with your head and your heart.  Do not be silent.



America is great because of us.  All of us.  How boring would it be if we didn't get to have opinions and chase our dreams and really just live our lives?  Today I am thankful that I have a say in the direction this country will take.  I am thankful for my voice.


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