Please vote!

This post is for the US readers.  The upcoming general election is incredibly important.  The two parties have very different views of the direction the US should go.  This election will be a critical step in determining our future.  Elections are about more than one issue; they are about determining which philosophy of government will take us into the future.  Every vote matters, so please go vote.  Look at the candidate’s values and plans, and pick the one that best aligns with your values.  Sometimes your vote will be “against” one candidate by voting for an opponent that is a better choice (even if not “perfect”), and that’s okay too.  Voting is a privilege, a right, and a duty.  Don’t take that right for granted.  Women were not allowed to vote until 1920, after decades of struggle.  Some other groups of Americans were not able to vote for decades after that. 

The President determines who will be appointed to the Supreme Court, and who will be appointed to the Cabinet posts.  As long as they don’t violate laws, these Cabinet leaders have a profound effect on the priorities and policies in their departments. 
Congress determines which programs and agencies will have funding increases and which will have decreases.  Congress passes laws that have significant impact on the nation. 
The environmental protection laws passed by Congress in the 1970s and 1980s had a profound impact on pollution, hazardous waste, and protection of endangered species.  Congress can also help or impede a President’s agenda.

State and local elections are just as important.  The elected officials in your state, county, or town make and enforce laws that affect your immediate surroundings.  We have seen many instances over the last few years of states enacting very different laws from each other, so your state legislature has a big effect on your life. 

Now go study the candidates and issues (don’t rely on social media sound bites or television commercials – many of these are strongly biased or even false).  Look at what the candidates themselves are saying and check news sources associated with both sides.  AND THEN GO VOTE!!!