It's My Vote, MINE!!

Once again, my opinion.  Read disclaimer on first post.

"Super Tuesday" as I've heard it called over and over again, is upon us.  Time to get out and vote.  I like to consider myself rather Patriotic.  I fly my flag on holidays, I stand when the flag passes by, I know all the songs from "America the Beautiful" to "Yankee Doodle", I totally support our military, and I thank God that I was born here, and not in any other place on Earth.

That said, our electoral system is extremely screwed up.  The ad's are completely disrespectful and out of control, and the whole "electoral college" is outdated and just plain nuts.  If you aren't aware, it's the "electoral college" that puts our president in office, not the popular vote.  That's the nuts part.  Why can't we just vote for who we want and get rid of the "electoral college"?  200 years ago, when we needed it, it worked.  Now, it's just a waste of time.

The vote though, that's what is important.  My vote, my one vote, means a whole lot to me.  I get goose bumps when I hear the "Star Spangled Banner".  Many people died so I can hear it.  Those same people died so I can get, and use, my vote.  I think sometimes, that people forget all that.  Yes, we hear about veterans every day.  We all probably know someone who served sometime, somewhere.  Do you ever talk to them?  The veterans I mean.  Have you ever talked to a veteran?

The man who lives behind me is a Korean (Conflict) War veteran.  I heard him tossing horseshoes one day, and decided to introduce myself and chat.  While talking, I asked him if he ever served.  He perked up and told me he was in Korea.  "The war everyone forgets about", he said.  He then proceeded to tell me about how Korea has to be one of the worst places to have a war.  The summers were "hotter than hell will ever be" and the winters were "colder than you can ever imagine".  As he spoke, he told me of foxholes and death, rain and death, surviving many a near miss, and death.  His eyes glassed over as he spoke of friends lost, his youth lost, and nightmares he has - still.  When I hear people say, "I don't vote, it doesn't matter", I think to myself, "It matters to him."  It matters to anyone now serving and anyone who has served.

Your vote matters.  How you vote matters.  Please don't vote for the most recognized name, or the most "religious" guy, or just because someone is already in office.  You only have one vote.  Get on the internet, read the papers.  Learn about those trying to get your one vote.  Then, once you've decided, vote.

Vote, it does matter!