Be Informed and Vote
History Hangs in the Balance

By Todd Luck
Staff Writer

This is a unique time in history. The country is changing faster than ever before. We are at a crossroads. New issues have arisen that will forever redefine this country: Preemptive strikes. The changing job market. Guantanamo Bay. Stem cell research. International terrorism. Gay marriage. Rising oil costs. The Patriot Acts.

The list could go on and on. No matter who you are or what stance you take on each issue, at least one of them affects you. At least one of them is something you care about.

Every one of these issues will be decided by whoever is in power next. We may look back, thankful that this country was on the right side of history. Or we may look back in shock at how America could’ve gone so wrong.

The outcome is up to you. You will decide who will be in power in this election. You will decide who leads us into this rapidly changing new century.

It is an awesome responsibility. In an election this pivotal, it is important not to throw away your chance to help shape history. It is important to vote.

But it is also important to make your vote count. Don’t vote for petty issues. Don’t decide based on half-heard sound bites or halfhearted political ads.

Spend the few minutes it takes to learn about the issues and candidates. See if there really is a connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda. See if new stem cell lines really do offer hope for the ill. Do not take someone’s word on it. Look it up.

Some of you may believe this won’t make a difference. Some of you believe all the information out there is unreliable or biased. Some of you believe all the candidates are the same. That is not true.

Cynicism is the death of democracy. Information is its lifeblood. There are thousands of dedicated journalists and scholars who work hard to bring you that knowledge. There’s information available from every source, angle, and point-of-view imaginable.

And it is all easy to find. The Internet has many ways to search for information on current issues. Most major Internet search engines like www.google.com have a “news” option right above their search bar.

The search function on www.cnn.com is a way to find vast amounts of information from CNN and the Associated Press.

NPR, known for its radio shows with experts on every subject imaginable, lets you search and listen to them all at www.npr.org.

Even without the Internet, you can still find information by going to the Sampson-Livermore Library. They have vast backlogs of magazines with in-depth articles on virtually every topic. And, of course, they have books, too.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 8. Register. Get informed. And then on Nov. 2, decide the future of this country.

We can no longer be content to sit on the sidelines. History won’t let us.