During my time in the military I had the great privilege of planning and/or providing security for elections in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq. Each of these places had a history of totalitarian dictatorship, and it was truly moving to see men and women celebrating the fact that they cast their first votes in a free and fair election. This was especially true in Iraq, where the insurgents had threatened to attack anyone who voted; the Iraqis returning home from the polls waved their fingers, stained with ink to show they had cast a ballot, in defiance of the threats.

The United States of America was born with a similar spirit of defiance. The democratic spirit that called a nation to arms in the spring and summer of 1775 has endured many trials and tribulations, but it is still there. Arguably today more than ever it is critical that each of us do our part to exercise our rights of citizenship. Our right to vote was paid for with the blood of patriots in battlefields like Trenton, Gettysburg, the Argonne, Normandy, Okinawa, Khe San, Baghdad, and Kandahar…and even in places like Memphis and Kent State.

So I hope everyone who reads this has exercised their right to vote. It is a precious gift…it would be a shame not to use it.

Robert Krenzel Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RobertKrenzelAuthor

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