Letter - Don't take voting for granted

To the editor:

Elections are a beautiful thing. When casting my ballot on November 2, I felt a deep sense of pride and love for my state and country. Elections represent the very thing our country was founded on – freedom. But it’s not just about freedom; by voting, we are setting the course of government and telling our leaders which direction to take.

As a young person, I’ve only been able to vote in two elections, and I took both votes very seriously. However, I wish more people in my generation would do so as well. So many people my age simply do not care. They don’t understand the importance of voting. They don’t see how it affects their lives. It is sad that in some countries, people die going to the polls and risk their family’s lives, but here, so many people – both young and old – view voting as an inconvenience. They claim they don’t have time and they don’t care.

I hope each of you reading will talk to your children and grandchildren and encourage them to get involved, make sure they know the issues, and give them the resources they need to make an educated vote in 2012. God blesses us every day and continues to give us our freedom. We should not take that for granted.

Steve Hensley

Alexandria, MN

Tags: steve hensley, opinion, letters, hensley