Hey Caiti: We the people; have we forgotten?

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It is an election year. To hear the talking heads, an election year like no other. A time when a woman and a non-politician vie for the highest office in the land. Turn on the radio, the television, open a newspaper or a magazine and someone will be glad to tell you how to vote. But perhaps there is an issue more important than who you might choose to vote for. The real issue is, you need to actually go out and vote.

Contrary to what we are being told, precedent has been set for controversial elections. A good example; the day the morning newspapers heralded the landslide victory of Dewey over Truman. Then we find out that Truman will still be our president. So much for the media getting it right. Another example; the political experts tell us an actor will never be elected president. Yet when the dust settles, Ronald Reagan is the one to stand at the helm of America. Finally, we are told by religious leaders that a Catholic will never sit in the oval office. Do you remember our 35th President, John Kennedy?

So why then are we being inundated with messages telling us this is the most history making election in the history of America? Why are the so-called experts telling us if we vote for the wrong candidate we may put our great nation to its knees?

Consider this. Maybe those with a private agenda, or those simply ignorant of the facts, are trying to convince us that we should not show up on election day. And anecdotal evidence would suggest some people have been convinced.

They have been convinced the issues are too complex for the average person to understand. They have been convinced that if they make the wrong choice they may be the instrument of our destruction. And most frightening, they have been convinced that their vote will not make a difference.

The primary reason so many have been convinced is that “We The People” have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten our birthright as Americans. We have forgotten what it truly means to be an American. Sadly, and most frightening, we the people, have forgotten the most important thing that we should never forget; “WE THE PEOPLE” are the power of this great nation. Thomas Jefferson knew this when he proclaimed, “I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves….”

It is not the politicians, lobbyists, or special interest groups that made America into one of the greatest countries in the world. We the people, are why this nation still stands tall through all the adversities she has suffered.

It is “WE THE PEOPLE” who have gone to distant shores and shed our blood to keep this nation safe. It is we who have went into the depths of the coal mines, walked through the doors of factories, and tilled the fields of this great land to build a strong economy.

President Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” The best thing we can do for our country right now is to vote. Every eligible American, no matter where they are on this planet, should stand up and take back their power on election day.

We must shed our amnesiac-thought process and remember who we are. We are the true power of this great nation. We are the true creators of our destiny. Perhaps one vote will not make a difference, but when you multiply one vote by millions, we the people can write our own history and leave a legacy to our children never before known in the history of civilization.

One last thought: If you decide not to vote, then do not be surprised when your complaints about America fall on deaf ears. If you cannot stand up for this great nation come election day, then why should anyone stand up for you?

Hey Caiti

Johnni Hipple

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