It has been said time and time again that, as Americans, we should vote. There are ads on television, social media and abroad encouraging us to use our democratic right to elect the people we want. We are told that our vote matters. President Kennedy said that “the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.”

Yet on Election Day, many of us stay home. We do not exercise the right our founders gave to us. Americans, whether it be on social media or the news or in conversation, will gladly criticize the government, its people and its policies, but will not do anything to fix it.

This is not how a government and its people should function. The purpose of a government is to serve the people in any capacity they may need. It is the job of the people to be educated in what the government is doing so they can make informed decisions.

I feel like the America of 2020 has fallen from this notion. We have become a country that is focused on political party identities, following a certain individual and playing the blame game. We need to move away from our identities, remove those idols and refocus on the issues and how to fix them.

So, I ask you, are you going to vote on Election Day, whether in person or by mail? Or will you stay silent?

Ashton Caldwell

Harmar

The writer is a journalism student at Penn State.

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