Honor the Troops

As you read these words, our soldiers are fighting and dying in Iraq. These brave young men and women voluntarily enlisted in our armed services knowing that they might be called on to offer the ultimate sacrifice. They are serving our country to promote peace and freedom – both at home and around the world. We all should be tremendously grateful that there are courageous men and women who believe that peace and freedom are worth dying for.

This past Saturday the Iraqi people went to the polls to vote for a constitutional referendum. It is now estimated that at least 61 percent of eligible Iraqis turned out to vote on Saturday’s election. The Iraqis who voted know first-hand the sacrifices that American troops are making to give them the ability to vote. Every day the Iraqi people see soldiers, who are far away from home, defending their right to be free.

The number of Iraqis that voted is extremely remarkable in light of the number of Americans that typically vote. Although the right to vote is arguably one of the most important rights of American citizenship, a substantial amount of citizens choose not to vote each year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau only 46 percent of Americans voted in the November 2002 election. The statistics are even worse in California where only 42 percent voted.

While we, unlike the Iraqi people, cannot visibly see men and women dying in the fields for our freedoms, our right to vote is nonetheless a direct result of blood shed by brave soldiers.

What are you going to do about the fact that young men and women died so you can have the right to vote?

Send a loud, clear signal to the American troops that their sacrifices matter by going to the polls and exercising your right to vote!

This is a very practical way that you can honor our brave soldiers. See you at the ballot box on November 8th!

[Editor's note: Nov. 8 is the date for California's special election. And, incidentally, this post has nothing whatsoever to do with voting for pumpkins.]