What freedom costs....

[jackhammer91406]

What freedom costs….

 

For those of us who live in the United States, today is the day where every four years we are called upon to pay the cost of freedom.

 

This is the day when the responsibility of being a free people must be shouldered by each of us in casting a preference for our future. The rest of the world watches as we exercise the most basic symbol of freedom, the right to vote. They see us as a beacon of what they wish for themselves; the right to be self-determining.

 

For well over 200 hundred years the men and women of our armed forces have fought and died to secure that responsibility for us. The amount of blood that has been shed and lives that have been shattered puts an extra burden on those of us who enjoy the freedom so dearly won.

 

An estimated 90 million eligible voters will take a pass on that responsibility today and not exercise their right to vote. We should all be ashamed of that figure. After all, we the people are asked only to perform one simple task. That task is to express a preference. A simple task and yet when the voice of the people speak it is so eloquent because it is the expression of our very nature.

 

Out of many,one . E Pluribus Unim.

 

Some reading this thread will be tempted to make a partisan comment or change the discussion to one of discord. I beg you for this day to resist that temptation and simply join me in celebrating the one thing that unites us, that we are all Americans and we can vote.

 

I urge everyone who is able, to go to your polls today and cast a vote. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, only that you vote.

 

What freedom costs is getting up and going to your polls and taking your share of the burden of responsibility for the future of our country.

 

I am willing to share that burden with you today. Let’s all please vote.

[instudiocity]

What freedom costs…. I urge everyone who is able, to go to your polls today and cast a vote. It doesn’t matter who you vote for, only that you vote. What freedom costs is getting up and going to your polls and taking your share of the burden of responsibility for the future of our country. I am willing to share that burden with you today. Let’s all please vote. [/color][/size][/font]

Thanks Jackhammer! I Voted.

[rvwnsd]

I mailed my ballot the day after I received it. My only regret about voting by mail is not getting that little "I voted" sticker.

[adriano46]

I was supposed to be "on the road" on a business trip today (before the megastorm) and so had the foresight to ask for an absentee ballot and mailed it back in over 3 weeks ago. Now seeing the chaos in voting on LI and in NYC for once I have hope that the absentee ballots will be more important.

[Bosguy]

Thanks Jackhammer for this inspiring post. Polls open here momentarily and I am heading out the door very soon.

 

Boston Bill

[bigvalboy]

For those of us who live in the United States, today is the day where every four years we are called upon to pay the cost of freedom.

 

This is the day when the responsibility of being a free people must be shouldered by each of us in casting a preference for our future. The rest of the world watches as we exercise the most basic symbol of freedom, the right to vote. They see us as a beacon of what they wish for themselves; the right to be self-determining.

 

Thanks Jack for reminding all of us how blessed we are to call this great country we live in our home...

[Racketjock]

Great words. I am proud to have voted.

[seeker630]

Thanks for the reminder of the importance of this basic American right - it really is a duty!

 

I voted last week.

[+ deej]

Thanks, Jackhammer.

 

Let me just add that if you live in an area plagued by long voting lines, STAY IN LINE. Cast your vote! Your country needs you to vote!

 

If you leave that line and fail to vote because it is too inconvenient a) you are a poopy head and b) you are fulfilling someone else's wishes for the future of this country. Let YOUR voice be heard, not some rich bastard that bought himself some influence. The only effective pushback on bought influence is YOUR vote.

 

I voted a couple of weeks ago. Passing by the polling place while walking the dog this morning I was amazed at the line at 7:00 and glad I wasn't standing in it. I have never seen a line at that polling place at any time in any previous election. (And CA isn't plagued by the voter suppression efforts going on in other states.) I smell democracy in the air.

[JT Brooklyn]

Hopefully the sacrifices made by those standing in these Long Ridiculous Lines caused by many BS Amendments Pay Off!

 

I'll probably get Moved to Politic's & Religion BUT.."A Vote for Obama is definitely a Vote for your Mama" and those of "Mature Year's" on Daddys!

[jawjateck]

Thanks Jack for the great post! I voted this morning, and it felt good.......real good.

[rickp]

I voted too! But did not get a sticker

[uwsman2]

I always vote on my way home from the gym after my morning workout. I'm usually one of the first 10 voters in my election district. This morning I was No. 27. It was about 6:20 am on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and the polling place was already busy. In my neighborhood, lots of people vote.

[+ FreshFluff]

I voted on my way home. I'm in a state that the press hyped up as battleground at the last minute, but it never was.

[+ purplekow]

I voted early and often. I voted late in the day and was #1532 to vote in my district.

[Michael Wayne]

At least it was a CLEAR choice and the outcome is not in doubt. My sincere hope, wish and prayer is that America made the right choice. The overwhelming majority of my clients (80%) were ardent Romney suporters who were very upset over tax increases and a 16 trillion dollar debt. I do not publicly discuss my politics. God bless America. I did vote and only had a 50 minute wait.

[JT Brooklyn]

America has definitely not made the wrong choice for 4 more Year's. Hopefully President Obama can finish what he has started.

 

Unfortunately there's too much "Tea Bagging" of the wrong kind going on! Hopefully this to will pass on into "History" as Romney/Ryan will....

[leigh.bess.toad]

a) you are a poopy head .

 

Now there's a line I haven't heard before. Thanks for the laugh, deej. Not the most elegant of statements but about accurate.

 

I voted early. Later I came back and got my son to the poll for the first time. It is something to see your child old enough and responsible enough to vote. Hopefully he has learned the lesson that voting is a right and responsibility. Which Jackhammer so beautifully stated.

[+ honcho]

I voted at 4pm california time. I had to wait for about 5 minutes because the one person ahead of me in line had

recently moved and there was some discussion about whether or not she had to return to her original precinct, etc.

When I got my ballot there were 3 unoccupied booths. Was in and out in about 10 minutes.

 

In the city of san francisco, voting is done by optically read hand marked ballots (you put a black mark between

two halves of a thick arrow). This is the method endorsed by the California secretary of state. who gave a talk

at a computer conference a couple of years back. While she was talking (from hand written notes, instead of powerpoint)

a photographer of a license plate frame was displayed which said "Prevent unwanted presidencies; use Safe Voting".

It brought the house down

 

(I've gone back to school part time as a music major, have a 9am class that precluded

voting before going off to school, and a housemate that works in the restaurant business, so I practiced at

school for 3.5 hours after class and came back home to vote in advance of the after-work crowd).

[rguer]

The overwhelming majority of my clients (80%) were ardent Romney suporters who were very upset over tax increases and a 16 trillion dollar debt. I do not publicly discuss my politics.

 

It probably wouldn't help to tell them that the largest tax increases ever were under Reagan, huh?

[JT Brooklyn]

It probably wouldn't help to tell them that the largest tax increases ever were under Reagan, huh?

 

Most definitely NOT!