Although 18-year-olds are allowed to vote, I don't think that many of us take advantage of this right. Voting is a privilege and as teenagers we should not only educate ourselves on the issues, but also understand how every vote counts, even ours.
I turned 18 last month and believe it is my responsibility not only to vote but also to be educated in the choices I have. There are several ways I can become more informed on the candidates' beliefs or issues that may concern me. One way to know the presidential candidates is through the television. The presidential candidates usually appear on Sunday talk shows and if I want to know how a certain candidate stands on an issue, it is a great way to find out their positions. The Internet is also a great source of information on candidates. Discovering a candidate's views on health care or illegal immigrants allows me to feel more connected to candidates. Magazines and newspapers can also be helpful in determining a more detailed understanding of whom I want to vote for.
Teenagers sometimes feel they don't make that big of a difference if they vote but the truth is, we do. Someday it won't be our parents who are directly dealing with the decisions made by the president; it will be us. Our vote will determine who is president and whether he or she will help the country economically or make education of our children the forefront of their campaign. Whatever is happening in the world right now will affect us when we are grown and have families of our own, so by voting we are helping to ensure that we will have a country that is run the way we want it, and at least we will know that we used the right to vote to try to shape our futures.
Voting is a privilege and American teenagers need to realize how important it is to vote in both presidential and local elections. Like any privilege it should be respected and exercised with extreme care. If we don't vote, that is one less voice that could have been heard. We must not deprive ourselves of those rights that our forefathers worked so hard to achieve.
Franklin D. Roosevelt argued, "Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a president and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country." Voting is both a responsibility and a privilege and should not be used unwisely. Our votes can make an important difference as long as we take the time to educate ourselves on the issues and candidates, and make wise choices.
I look forward to being able to vote in the next presidential election and making my voice heard.
Lauren Eberle is a senior at Elk Rapids High School.
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