There are many reasons to be excited about today - Election Day. And not just because the political ads that have carpet bombed the airwaves and print media for the past several months should finally end after today.
No, the best reason is because American citizens are able, once again, to enjoy possibly the best gift given to them by our Founding Fathers and our Constitution - the right to vote.
While we may take voting for granted, and millions of eligible voters do not even vote at all, that gift is not available to millions of people in the world today. And if you wonder how precious the right to vote is, just look at what happened in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt, during the past few months when an oppressed citizenry was finally granted the right to vote and changed the direction of their countries.
Everyone had the opportunity to vote early during the preceding days, and judging from the long lines at polling places, many took advantage of that opportunity. However, many did not vote early. So, today is their last opportunity.
The focus of the election is the presidency. That is where the vast majority of advertising money has gone. However, there is a contested race for nearly every office, national, state and local on today's ballot, along with several constitutional and bond issues that will affect every person.
It has often been said that if you don't take the time to vote, you shouldn't have the right to complain about the outcome. That is true. But, the biggest reason to vote isn't for the right to complain if we do not like the winners, but to take advantage of the best gift a free society can be given.
