Is voting a duty?

I voted.  I noticed on social media that many others did, as well.  I haven’t posted a sticker on social media because voting is not a novelty for me.  I’m not belittling anybody who posted an “I voted” sticker.  You should be proud.  Celebrate it.   I am lamenting the fact that it seems to be something special or out of the ordinary for so many.  Let it become a habit that you don’t need to post a sticker about.  It should just be the expectation.

I have voted in every election since I was 18 years old.  I’m an old guy now.  Not old enough to play from the forward tees yet.  But old enough that it has been a lot of elections in which I have voted.

I see voting as more than just my right.  It is my civic duty.  That means I see it as my responsibility to those I live with in community.  I am sharing my opinion with you every time I vote.  It’s not just when “it’s the most important election in my lifetime”.  It’s important every election.  We need to share that opinion so that our community officials are the people that represent the opinions of those of us in community together.

I’m writing this on the day after election day 2020.  We don’t know the results of the Presidential election because not all of the votes have been counted.  What we do know is that when the final results are in, the winner will be the winner by a slim margin.  So a very large minority of us is going to be disappointed with the results.  That’s life.  There are disappointments.  And every disappointment is an opportunity to grow.

I am anxious to see the final results.  I am trusting in the sanctity of our election system for a fair and honest result.  But what has me happy already is that the robo-calls, election flyers in the mail, texts and emails about voting should all be finished!

I may not be happy if my candidate does not win.  But I will live with it because I am blessed to live in the greatest country in the world.  I’m not saying it’s perfect.  But it is a far cry better than any country I can think of.  And our representative republic works because the drafters of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were very bright people who understood the pitfalls of other forms of government.  And as long as our Constitution stays intact, I will get a chance the next time I vote to share my opinion with my community once again.  God bless America!