Politics seem to be noticed more by the general public than ever before. There were record turnouts by voters in the 2008 Presidential Election. It is often surprising, however, when one hears their fellow Americans ask "Why is it important to vote?" One might think, perhaps, sometimes we take for granted the freedoms we enjoy without realizing what price was paid so we can enjoy that right or the fact that so many people in the world aren't given an opportunity to vote and voice their opinion.

Some may argue, "I don’t know who/what to vote for." This kind of mentality is not an excuse. Individuals must educate themselves on the candidates, the propositions, and the issues at hand. Individuals should not rely on the advice or history of their parent's voting patterns. Voters should take the time and find out for themselves the things they are voting for. Information on such topics is literally right at our fingertips and it would be foolish for individuals to not take the time and educate themselves.

Voting is a relatively new concept in the history of the government. For the majority of world history, countries were ruled by kings and dictators and democracy was only a novel concept. It wasn't until around 550 BC that one of the first democracies was born in some of the territories surrounding Athens, Greece. Since that time there have been others, but none more compete in giving rights to its citizens like our own government in the United States of America.

You may have heard the saying "nothing in life is free". This couldn’t be more accurate than when describing our freedoms in America; especially the freedom to vote. Sacrifice for this freedom started with the Revolutionary War. Through this monumental struggle, America won her independence, but not before many individuals gave their lives to the cause of freedom.

There are many countries today that are run by governments that don't allow their people to vote. These rights are even less available to the women of the world who are still struggling to obtain equal rights in much of the world. So, why should we vote? As Americans we should hold sacred our ability to vote and voice our opinion. It is our responsibility as citizens to elect officials that we feel will be honest and help make our country better and safer. As Americans, we should hope that all individuals will take the opportunity to vote and not let the sacrifice of those that have gone before us be for nothing.