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Your Right To Suffrage

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Arvin Aguilar
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30 views2 pages

Your Right To Suffrage

readings

Uploaded by

Arvin Aguilar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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You Right to Suffrage

By Bless D. Hufanda

Have you experience to vote? If you are qualified, then, it is your


fundamental right to participate in the election process.

Voting is our civic responsibility. It is one of the fundamental tools


by which our nation has guaranteed our inalienable rights
throughout our history—237 years now. Today we live in a rich,
multicultural society. We have representatives in our government
who cross race, gender, class, sexual orientation and so on. For
the first time in American history, we have a black president.
Millions of citizens from various backgrounds are prospering and
thriving in our democratic system. Frankly, we cannot fathom
living in a society based in segregation and injustice. It seems like
ancient history. But it is not. Women did not secure their right to
vote until it was acted into law.

People from different backgrounds fought and died for this


inherent right to live equally and as fully vested citizens. While we
look to these moments as signs of progress, the Voting Rights Act
is not permanent. It is codified to be renewed periodically. Most of
us believe that all important decisions take place at the federal
executive and legislative levels. It's true that millions of public
dollars flow from the federal government to state and local
bodies, and that is a public-policy driver. But how we are
governed in our everyday lives often depends on the officials we
elect in our own backyard. So, if you are concerned about good
schools, crime prevention, clean air and water and decent public
transportation, you must vote for those who you believe will
represent your interests. That means you need to participate in
elections for your city councilperson, mayor, state senator, state
delegate and governor. What happens when people don't vote?
Here is one scenario: You do not believe your vote counts; no
matter what, there is corruption and nothing will change. So you
abstain from voting on Election Day. Voter turnout is low, which
invariably favors the incumbents—the very folks with whom you
are not happy. Despite your unhappiness, they are re-elected.
The result is that the candidates who could have best represented
you do not get into office, and once again you are left despondent
about your local government. Ask yourself: In this scenario, how
can things get better?

I, as young individual, believe that change can never happen


unless we vote. Despite all the challenges we face in this society,
despite all of the messiness of democracy that we see on
television and read about in the media, this system of
government belongs to us. We pay for it. We hire people to make
decisions for us, and if we are not satisfied with their
performance, every election cycle we can fire them and hire
others.

Why would you not participate in this? What do you have to lose?
The decision is yours! Let your voice be heard!

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