The Audacity to Vote

The November chill has taken hold of the military town I grew up in, which still happens to be my voting precinct. Brightly colored campaign signs fill the yards of this working class town, like many other small towns across this big country, providing a distraction from all the “For Sale” signs that have been out so long they are now faded by the sun. The few remaining leaves still cling to the trees as the ever-present November wind fights hard to bring them down.

As I drove to Radcliff Elementary School to vote, gray clouds blanketed the sky above me, betraying the excitement in the hearts of so many voters. As is customary in Kentucky, students had been given the day off. I was thankful for that, as it would have been a little awkward trying to vote in the middle of a dodge ball tournament.  Kentucky kids can be vicious.

As I parked and walked inside, I thought back almost a year when I visited the tomb of one of our most beloved Presidents.

“Four score and seven years ago…” read the weathered bronze plaque in front of me, displaying the words spoken by the bold voice over a century ago. Behind the plaque, a 117-foot obelisk points straight up from the tomb, competing with the surrounding oak trees to stand firm against the wind and cold. Light snowflakes silently fell, creating a shroud of privacy around me. Reading the plaque, I was once again struck by the magnitude of the life whose body now rested yards from where I stood.

                Having spent much of my childhood in Kentucky, I grew up with a bit of hometown pride for Abraham Lincoln. I’d taken countless trips with visiting friends and family to his birthplace in my home county, and now I was standing on the opposite end of his life, in Springfield, Illinois.

                It was a frigid January day, with the wind chill dipping down to a brisk 8 degrees shortly before I arrived, as the radio DJ all-too-joyfully had reminded me. I was on my way back to Kentucky from a visit to friends in Missouri, and decided to make the detour. Whether it was the cold temperatures, or the recent holidays, I was the only one who deemed it a good day to visit Lincoln’s tomb. In fact, I was the only one in the entire cemetery.

                Surrounding the top of the large marble tomb were several bronze statues, the most notable being a statue of Lincoln himself, holding the Emancipation Proclamation. As I looked up at the statue, Lincoln appeared to stare right down at me, daring me to live my life anything short of his expectations of me as an American. Being alone with Lincoln, I felt intimately close to his story, and appreciative of the causes he stood up for, notably the abolition of slavery.

                A persistent wind was blowing, causing me to bury myself further into my layers, and I began to think about how I was already missing the weather of Congo, which I’d left only weeks before. It was kind of ironic, having just left Congo, where many of the slaves in the Americas came from, and now I stood with the man who had such a powerful influence on their becoming free citizens.

                Currently, Congo is in an ongoing struggle. Many call it a Civil War, not unlike our own War Between the States that nearly broke our nation’s spine. However, there are a lot more than two sides fighting in Congo. This messy, complicated war has waged on for decades, and it is widely accepted that this conflict has killed more people, over 7 million, than any other conflict in world history.

                Congo is also a land where it is difficult to express yourself politically. There are ‘democratic’ elections, but are considered by many to be unfair and flawed, leaving the population feeling powerless in their effort to have their voices heard and receive equal representation in their government.

     What is remarkably different about this conflict and ours is the difference in reasons behind it. The fighting in Congo typically goes on between varying rebel groups, fueled by greed for natural resources. What happens more often than not, however, is attacks from rebel groups on innocent civilians. Many of the lives lost in this conflict have not been on the battlefield. Many peace programs have been set up by different parties involved to no avail, but life continues to move on for the millions of Congolese, and there is hope for the future.

                We were truly blessed in this nation to be led by such a wonderful man during our Civil War. President Lincoln was a man driven by principles. He led by his convictions, and at the end of the Gettysburg Address, said, “…this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

                As I continued walking around the memorial, a white caravan pulled into the parking area. A woman with a light jacket on dashes out of the passenger side of the car, runs over, takes a quick picture, and then re-enters her safe and warm vehicle to drive away. She may have passed 30 seconds there, but at least she can now claim to have seen Lincoln’s tomb, and she has the picture to prove it. Maybe she is the smart one, as my limbs are now going numb. Regardless, her actions seem to be disrespectful of the President who gave his life serving his country

Back in the elementary school gymnasium, I handed the election volunteer my ID, signed my  name, and got in line to vote. This election has been referred to by many candidates as “the most important election in our nation’s history.” While I do think every Presidential election is important in this country, it seems a little presumptuous to think it more important than, say, the first election of Abraham Lincoln, or perhaps the third term election of FDR. Regardless, this election is important, and represents a strong nation that rises to the top of every challenge we face, from slavery emancipation to Hurricane Sandy.

I am often asked when I return to this great country, “I bet you appreciate so much of what we have now that you’ve seen some hard places.” The answer to this is an emphatic YES. However, it may not be for the reasons one would assume. It’s true I do enjoy many of the material things our country offers, whether it be my sister-in-law’s enchiladas, Aunt Dianne’s sweet tea,  going to Barnes & Noble, or watching Survivor. But one of the things I have come to appreciate more than others is our system of government, and the fact that I am able to vote in Presidential elections.

Our system is by no means perfect, and one could argue against the effectiveness of a single person’s vote, particularly in this day and age when poll numbers seem to predict the winners before we even vote. But the difference is that our politicians work to earn our votes. It may seem silly to argue about binders full of women or horses and bayonets, but regardless of how you feel about an individual candidate’s politics, you do believe they are running because of their love for this country. Contrast this with governments of so many other countries where politicians try to win in order to dip their hand in the corruptive coffers of their country’s economies, while sitting by and watching their populations scrape along.

So many people around the world would give their lives to be able to have the type of government that represents them. I have lived in places where votes are mysteriously “lost”, candidates suspiciously die right before an election, or where it is illegal to say anything against the President. All of those things make me so grateful to be an American, because I don’t have to face any of those challenges.

We are a country who has weathered many storms, figuratively and literally. We remain engaged in our political system because we can. It’s not only a right, but a responsibility. Ignoring that responsibility to stay educated and involved, in my humble opinion, is regrettable.

After turning in my ballot, I proudly attached my “I Voted!” sticker on my shirt, happy to have done my small part in exercising my rights in these great United States of America. I'm especially excited to be able to vote in person this time, since last time I had to vote by absentee.

            Sitting here writing this, I’m reminded of my final action when walking away from my afternoon with President Lincoln. In front of the tomb stands a large bust of his head. Tradition goes that if you pass in front of the bust, you are to rub his nose for good luck. While this may seem a little silly, it’s just one more quirky thing that makes us uniquely American. So naturally I gave that big nose a good hard rub and headed back to the shelter of my car, proud of my country’s past, and hopeful that we learn from it.