Is voting worth it?


I have voted in every election since turning 18. In the past 34 years I have voted for some winners who turned out to be losers. And other times I have wondered if the loser would have been a better choice. I usually ignore the ads, and instead study the issues and research the candidates.

Most everyone agrees our nation has desperate problems; it’s the solutions that can cause dissention. I am not, nor hope to be a candidate for public office. It seems there must be easier ways to go crazy. Truly, can it be fun to have half of the population hate you at any one time?

I decided to conduct a totally informal poll about voting. Most of my respondents felt that voting in the election would NOT make a difference in the journey ahead. Some weren’t going to even bother voting. Wow. But if voting no longer matters, what do we have left?

Most would consider me to be optimistic. Some would say ridiculously so. But lately, I find myself more inclined to plan for hard times. Will voting change my outlook? Probably not, for our nation’s problems are bigger than one election. But if we get to the point where most of the nation feels voting no longer is part of the solution, my preparing for hard times won't be nearly enough.

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