No, I do not want to write about this election. I'm actually sickened by the amount of political posts about this election. It is over and posting on your Facebook wall about how you are suddenly a political analyst since November 8th occured has almost convinced me to disable Facebook until I leave the country in January. While it seems most people are too busy complaining about the election, they've managed to cast a dark shadow over a hugely important day in America--Veteran's Day.

Instead, I want to dedicate this article to the people who make this election possible and fight for democracy abroad instead of becoming political activists soley through their Facebook wall. Thank you to our veterans.

My high school band had the amazing privilege and oppurtunity to play a concert on Veteran's day every year specefically for our veterans. It was an annual tradition to give this concert and we played different patriotic songs for them. My first year getting to play in the concert, I didn't expect it to feel like such an important concert. I've never felt the same kind of pressure as I did that night for those veterans.

For most concerts, we are playing for our friends and families in the crowd who don't really know the songs and will like our performance no matter what we do. For the veterans, they knew all these songs and each song truly meant something to them. To me, we had to play every note of every song perfectly because it could be a melody that brings back memories for them. This concert was the only concert that I ever felt this pressure to play beautifully and perfectly--other concerts were about making my director proud or just playing to enjoy myself.

I remember our feedback after the concert. My director received emails or thanks for doing it and there were people crying, saluting, and putting their hands over their heart during various songs. These melodies brought back memories and our music genuinly touched them in emotional ways that we could never understand.

This election season has dissapointed me because despite it being a few days since the election ended, it seems that it has completely overshadowed Veteran's Day. This doesn't anger me, but it saddens me.

This is for our veterans. I thank you so much. You have the hardest job in the country. It is your job to go and fight for our values over seas, leaving behind your families, risking your life, your physical and emotional health, and you do so in the name of people that sometimes don't even appreciate you.

I speak for so many people in this country when I say that I am eternally grateful for you. When I see someone in uniform in public, I get emotional because it symbolizes so much sacrifice.I look at those in uniform and become so instantly filled with incredible respect. Whether we believe in our overseas conflicts or not should never devalue the sacrifice that those in uniform are representing when they put on their uniform and leave their families to fight for all americans. That cannot go unappreciated.

Thank you to every veteran for your service to us. It is not going unseen.