As an 18-year-old, I have just gained the right to officially express my political opinion in the polls. For 18 years, I could vocalize my opinion, but it didn't really matter what I thought or how I felt. That's changed now.
My vote actually counts.
We live in such a rare situation where the actual people who are being governed choose the government.
Do people not realize how special that is?
Sure, seeing the ads on TV can get insanely annoying, and hearing everyone argue about who they're voting for is absolutely ridiculous. But, seriously, how lucky are we that we have the freedom to do those things?
I've learned since the presidential election in 2016 that some people don't vote. That blows my mind.
Here's what really gets me:
People that don't vote, still complain about what's happening in our country.
For example, a lot of people were upset that Bernie Sanders wasn't the Democratic candidate for the 2016 election. Instead of voting for the next person whose views lined up with theirs, they just didn't vote all together out of spite.
Well here we are a year later, with Donald Trump as our president, and all of those people that didn't vote feel they have the right to complain about him or his decisions.
WRONG.
If you did not vote against Donald Trump, you cannot complain about Donald Trump.
My fellow Alabamians who chose not to vote today, December 12th, for our Senator, if you did not vote, you cannot be upset about whoever gets put into office. You had a chance to make it different.
Trust me, I understand that our choices weren't very good. Let's be honest, how often are they? But it's not our place to judge our political leaders by their personal baggage, but instead by if their political agenda lines up with what we want done for our city, state, or country.
With that being said, don't be upset with your friends because they voted differently than you. We live in an amazing country with the rights to our own opinions and beliefs.
However, if you aren't exercising your right to vote, you aren't exercising one of the most amazing rights given to people in the world.
Go vote, America. People died for this right to be upheld.
