The desire to vote, however, is not a wholly American trait--it's a universal desire. For example, in Iraq, Afghanistan and other such troubled spots, many of their sons and daughters (along with some of our own) are right now fighting and dying for ability to elect leaders and to control destiny of their respective countries. It's ultimate expression of free will on a national scale.

On one level voting seems such a tiny "thing," a relatively small and insignificant event--the stroke of a pen, touch of a stylus to a computer screen, punching of a chad--but when combined with hundreds, thousands, and millions of other such singular acts, voting can be much more powerful than spray of bullets.

By voting we can literally change course of history, and virtually everyone--young or old, sick or healthy--can take up "arms" and vote. Only desperate, disillusioned and disenfranchised resort to violence and intimidation. It's a simple fact--there are many more of us "voters" around than there are those who use fear and guns to gain or maintain power.

So here's hoping you got your "exercise" on election day by exercising your right to vote--a simple act that honors hard work of those who came before us, as well as hard work yet to come. Remember, world we create today is world our children and their children will inherit. Voting is one way for us to rest easy that our voices have been heard and will continue to be heard.

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Copyright (c) 2004 by Matt McGovern--All rights reserved.