I just came back from doing my civic duty. I voted!
I got up a bit early this morning to take my 10-year old daughter with me to the polls before she headed off to school.
It was nice to see a number of kids in my polling place with their parents. There could have been more, quite frankly.
We've been voting together as a family for many years.My wife and I try and teach our daughter that voting is much more than just an exercise.
Elections require of all of us to study the candidates and the issues very carefully and cast a vote that reflects our values and our hopes are for our country.
How many of us really do that? I think far too many people today vote the values preached by someone else rather than fully explore what's in their heart--but that's probally another blog!
In our house we never reach election day without a lot of family conversations. We have watched debates together, read the newspapers and tried to wade through the campaign ads.
We don't always end up on the same page. But in my opinion, you can't teach democracy by telling someone where they should end up.
A number of studies suggest if parents vote regularly, then their children will be far more likely to vote when they grow up.
Today is a great day to make a good first impression.
In other words, it's homework!
My granddaughter, Ashley, just turned 18 in January of this year. The first thing she did on her birhtday was go to the DMV to register to vote. Today is the big day for her, not only is she going to cast her ballot for the first time but it will be
in the primarys for the president of the United States. She goes to Bayside HS and as soon as classes are out, she will be going to Shelton
Park Elementary in Lake Shores to vote. She is
really excited. We will be there to take pictures. I think it is great that the young
Americans are taking their privilage to vote seriously.