What is democracy? By definition, it means government by people. 

That means all people should be able to have their say in everything that affects their lives.

And this is the basis for American success. 

This notion that democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people has served this country well for more than 200 years. 

Establishing a democratic system in place of a tyrannical monarchy was the basis of the American Revolution, and countless people gave their lives for the cause. That cause essentially boils down to a person’s right to choose the people who run their country, and thereby determine the future of the country and its people. 

The right to vote is a person’s most important right. 

It is the very foundation of the idea of freedom, and people to this day are fighting for this freedom, this right to choose who leads their own country.

The importance of voting is reaffirmed every election cycle. But what’s alarming to me is the fact that more people participate in choosing the next winner of Dancing with the Stars or watching the Super Bowl than voting in the presidential elections. 

As someone who grew up in various Middle Eastern monarchies, I cannot comprehend why people who have this very important right refuse to exercise it. 

My friends in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Tajikistan, Venezuela and other countries, keep telling me they closely follow the U.S. elections and wish that they had the same rights in their own countries. 

It’s time America realizes how precious the right to vote really is. 

I keep hearing things like “I don’t like either of them” or “one vote isn’t going to change anything.” 

But this isn’t true – your vote is going to change everything. 

One single vote may not change the outcome of the election. However, collectively, it can make a huge impact. If you stay at home just because you don’t like the candidates, you don’t have the right to complain when one of them is in charge for the next four years. 

Stop thinking about moving to Canada if the candidate you dislike wins. Instead, go out there and decide the future of your country. 

You may be a Republican or a Democrat, but one thing is for sure, you are all American and the direction you want this country to take is in your hands.

Get out there Nov. 8 and vote as if your future depends on it. Because most likely, it does.

 

Abdel Mo is an operations management major at SDSU and can be reached at [email protected].