Does Your One Vote Really Count?

Many people feel their one vote will not make a difference, so why bother? Stop right there! How fast we forget that this nation was built on the backs of hard-working people that overcame adversity just to get to these shores and to keep these shores free. Half of the pilgrims that came to create the Plymouth colony would lose their lives in the effort. During the expansion of the Ohio Valley, there was a great struggle over the land with France. In the mid-1700s, a hard-fought, bloody war (the French and Indian War) was fought by the British Army and the American colonists to keep the British hold on the Americas. Then, the 13 colonies, wanting to be free, faced the might of the British Empire. The rest of the world thought the colonists were mad – they had no formal government, no trained Army or Navy, and no money. How could they win? Representative Patrick Henry stated, “Give me liberty or give me death!” When we won our independence, the world held it’s breathe. The War of 1812 saw the British again invade our shores and burn Washington, DC but that fateful night was also when our Star Spangled Banner was penned (our flag was still there). By the mid-1800s the North and South were at each other’s throat and this land suffered a brutal civil war. Yet, after the war was over, the country came back together. Even the Great War (WWI) and the global war (WWII) did not deter us – we faced our enemies straight on and beat them. Today, our armed forces continue to defend our rights and freedoms, including the right to vote. If you are ever in Virginia, visit Arlington Cemetery and walk the grave sites. You will see the graves of fallen soldiers from the Civil War to the present. Many of those brave men where not even old enough to vote, yet they gave their votes by giving their lives. History has taught us that the measure of our vote is the faith in this country to keep us free!