“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.”
― Adlai E. Stevenson II

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Patriotism and patriotic duty get a bad rap in todays political climate. The word patriot has been bastardized and belittled to the point of being meaningless save for encapsulating the boisterous, divisive political rhetoric that we see on the nightly news and inundating our social media feeds. And yet each of us, as citizens of this nation have a truly patriotic duty; to vote.

In a nation where a small minority decides who gets to run for office, and where nearly half the country doesn’t even participate in the voting process, it’s our duty to cast a ballot. To show those in power what matters to us, what we want our country to be, and whether or not we agree with the direction in which we’re heading.

While we can’t control the special interest, or gerrymandering, or the corruption in the political system, we can make our voices heard through the ballot box. You might think to yourself “one vote doesn’t matter”, but there have been cases in local and state elections where the outcome was decided by one or just a few voters. More importantly, voting is one of the most important and powerful rights that we can excercise as free citizens of a democracy. Voting is so powerful in fact, that there are politicians who are actively trying to keep you from doing it through voting laws, lawsuits, scare tactics, and rigging the system.

But if we can’t control these things then what’s the point? I would argue that voting is the least we can do to participate in the political system and to ensure that future generations understand that we took the time and made the effort to try and leave a better world for them. I would not be able to look my children in the face and know that when it counted, I chose to not participate. I chose not to have a voice in their future, in building and securing a better world for them. Politicians count on the apathy and disengagement of the citizens to maintain power and control.

A better world is built upon every day actions. Big changes are enacted bit by bit, step by step. The world changes because of the small actions of many people working towards the common good. Your vote is a powerful action that moves us towards a better tomorrow.