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Show """" ' I freedom, voting J Jp everybody's job - 1 this election day J s , "2r v , by dorothy montalbano I .'"HS. staff writer I " i ? Freedom is everyone's job. All of us realize I CV"" . from the long months of speeches and campaign- I k i . ing, that it is now all over -- today is election day. I y"'' I '' In a sense it is D day. J . 1 X 'i I I , v' 1 j j It is the day when the American public goes to I ,t j the polls to vote for the candidate of their choice. I I ' They will either elect a new president or they will I , o : " ' re-elect our present one. I i - Whatever the outcome may be, we can say that I I - 'tv. we had a part in it, because we exercised our right I jfjf ' to vote. I 1 1 " To have the freedom to vote is a privilege I r " as we as a riSht- This privilege did not always I i - - i exist, and the right did not come easy. History I ; 1 IS - well exemplifies that wars have been fought through I J J I . " f the centuries to keep nations free. I I I , 1 By exercising the privilege to vote, a citizen I I V shows that they have a voice in the government, I f S . . and that is the privilege of giving in a free demo- I I f.(j ' ' cratic society. x .1 j 1 : It wasn't always this way. In the days of our I r ! " "K " forefathers, men were the only ones granted the I , - ? 1 i I privilege to vote. Through women's suffrage and I I , i the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, women I ' ' K were granted the right to vote. This privilege I ft has been further extended by law which permits I ' "' " , ; 18-year-olds to vote. ' I r i I I - . , ; Yes, freedom is everyone's job. One phase of I f : If V" V ! it begins here in the ballot box -- today. It is a I ; . s grave responsibility placed on the shoulders of each I C J v '.-( ' ' voter because on the outcome of their vote the I 1 ... I r destiny of our nation will rest. I ? 1 . An examination of the 1968 election by the I i -v . ! " ; ? - f ' I ' Gallup Polls reveals that out of 44 million eli- I . ; I ; .. I gible Americans who did not vote: ' r '.. ' r -- Fifteen million were registered and did not. I . Seven million were sick or disabled. I i , -;!-,; Three million said that they could not leave I s; "; V y their jobs. I j I :.v- ' -- Three million were away from home I I i ' J V ' -- One million did not obtain their absentee I ' . V'. . -"i t . - ballots. - I t "' r 1 j Many non-voters were prevented from exercisirg I - ' this right through no fault of their own. I i 'tSA.sv- Some could not vote, for one reason or another. I . ! j : 5 ' 1 - 1 But what of the 25 million who were either I I j t I ; J t I registered or could have easily done so? Will they I fe, -v, n; si, -4 s Xs x v-v -v sit out this GlGction 3.g'3.in tods.y? I ; n ; f . . . ' Politics is defined as "the art of science of I I - ; i. . r 1 . government; a science dealing with the regulation I r--- . n -I - x i ' - I ' - or control of men living in society." I ; j . , . i ! As long as people live together, there has to I fj . ; -4 I be politics. The question is: Will it be good, I f ? . " ' . ' i ' , bad or mediocre? I ' I a 1.. ' .....v - ' ' Whoever your candidate of your choice may be, I 1 ' remember to get out and vote TODAY. I , ' ' V. Plato summed it up by saying: "The punish- J l " J ment of wise men who refuse to take part in the I !; ) . , ,- affairs of the government, is to live under the I I government of unwise men. " I - elections today - vote - polls open till 8 p.m. |