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I met an older man full of wisdom yesterday that imparted some knowledge on me. He asked me about my political affiliation and I informed him that I was an Independent. He then went on to say, “Does that mean you are not going to vote at all when you say Independent?” I replied to him that I had issues with the platforms of both parties, so I choose to not associate myself with either one. He continued, “don’t use being an Independent as an excuse to not vote…when you don’t vote, you are basically giving a vote to the person that you did not want in office.” I sat there and pondered on his logic…although I was already going to vote it did not diminish the depth of the statement.

I’ve heard many people my age, 30, and younger say they do not vote because it doesn’t “make a difference.” I have one question for all of the skeptics of the electoral process…What impact does not voting have? I am old enough to have parents that grew up in the heart of the “Jim Crow” sixties and I wonder how their generation, and generations before them, feel when they see the blatant complacency of our generation. Any time you choose not to vote, you are indirectly fueling the campaign of the person that you did not want in office. A “no show” at the polls means you basically have voted in thier favor. Voting is much deeper than that though…

When I was in college I had the pleasure of meeting Congressman John Lewis. He reminded me of a time, when he was head of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), he received a concussion fighting for voter’s rights in Selma, Alabama. He reminded me of a time when police men gladly came out with sticks and water hoses against a non-violent protest. He reminded me of a time when children and adults alike were casualties of a war for equality at the polls. He reminded me of a time when people took action instead of reacting after the fact. He reminded me of a time that was not too long ago, yet in the middle of our “chicken noodle soup,” “bling bling,” water fountain of choice, schools of opportunity, and neighborhoods of diversity we forget that things we view as “little” were crusades just thirty years ago!

If you don’t vote, you are more than complacent…you are George Wallace, you are Joseph Smitherman, you are Strum Thurman, you are Mark Furman planting the evidence against your freedom. You are the greatest ally of the KKK, the skinheads and the aryan nation…you are the one that they don’t have to worry about. You are like every person that fought against equal voting rights for people of color and women. You are disenfranchising yourself. A vote is more significant than making a decision on a machine that may be faulty. A vote is more than getting a card from the government. A vote is a tribute to everyone whose shoulders you are standing on. A vote is a statement that the “casualties” of war were not in vain. A vote is the reason you can enjoy the freedoms you have…even the freedom to cast your own!

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