To the Editor:

Have you voted yet?

You may have heard some of the many cliches surrounding elections. Some are real while others are imagined. Some have been with us for years. A few examples: “All politics is local.” “All politicians lie to get elected.” “This is the most important election of our lifetime – until the next one.” “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” This one comes from media personality Dan Bongino: “The Republicans won’t be able to fix all your problems. But you can be sure it is the Democrats that have created them.”

I took an oath upon entering the service of our country very similar to the one every politician takes before entering office – ‘to preserve and protect our Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic’. There is no expiration date. I believe this is partly due as to why I am a conservative – that is one who wants to ‘conserve’ all that has made this country truly great and exceptional.

According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, 68.4 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, versus 23.6 who believe it is on the right track. So where do you stand? Have you bought gas for your car lately? Have you noticed the empty shelves in your favorite stores as I have? Are you aware of the rampant crime in our largest cities? Have you received a pay increase that keeps up with the 8+% inflation rate? The list goes on and on.

I am not writing this to extol the virtues of this candidate or that policy. You may have seen others that have taken the time to do it more eloquently than I. However, consider that many people take more time to plan a vacation than they do to get informed before exercising their sacred right as a citizen – their right to vote. Our Founding Fathers believed that this republic can only survive when the public is informed.

I am not in favor of an election month. I prefer an election day with limited exceptions. However, if you haven’t voted yet, please take the time to get informed. It is the future of your country that may depend on it.

Respectfully,

Douglas Jackson

Sidney