I am a voter. When I turned 18 years old back in 1986, my first vote ever was cast for George Bush Sr. He won, and I felt proud to be part of the electoral process. I walked out of the old Berlin voting precinct proud of what I had done. Whether you agree with my vote or not, I had exercised my civic duty and voted on an issue or candidate I believed in.

I will put out there, right now, that I support the East Holmes School levy. I will walk into that voting booth on Tuesday, vote yes for East Holmes Schools, gather up my “I Voted” sticker, and walk out the door back into my life. It takes a matter of moments to move your fingers over that touch screen and vote your preference.

I have been disheartened that the levy hasn’t been passed before this. An issue of this magnitude, that will affect all the kids in our district, needs to be addressed now. Our district has not mismanaged money. Our district has stretched the money it brings in to the limit and then some. This issue is not just whether our property taxes will be raised by the levy passing – which seems to be the only thing people can talk about.

My family is not rich. We get by, pay our bills, and live our lives. We are more than willing, even with our incomes, to have our property taxes raised. Why should we be selfish and afraid of this? This issue is about how our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will be affected. Our actions now will form a thread that follows through to the future. My husband and I feel that to vote yes, is to vote for our kids, and however far our line and that thread goes through to the future.

I’ve heard lots of arguments on this particular levy issue. I’ve heard vile, snarky words spewed forth. I’ve heard blame put on people that don’t deserve it. I’ve heard comments that were so far from the truth that it made my head spin. To misunderstand what this levy means is a danger to anyone who listens to the person who misunderstands.

Be informed. Gather information. Sift through it all and decide.

I’m not here to give you the specifics of this levy. We’ve all been given the correct information, if we but listen. Some of us still want to hang on to untruths that sway the way we vote. If you vote no because you are angry or want to blame someone, no one will be able to stop you. That’s the nature of the beast called our electoral process. I feel, though, that the information we need to make an informed decision has been given to us more than once. Whether we use that information or simply vote by untruths will be determined when you step in that voting booth. No one can change that.

My plea to you today is simply this: GET OUT AND VOTE.

I’ve been left with my mouth hanging open when I find out the amount of people who don’t vote. There are people who just can’t be bothered to take the time to cast a vote in either direction. I’m not here to admonish you. I’m here to encourage you to get out and at least vote in one direction or the other. What if every person who wanted the levy to pass decided that their vote didn’t count, or were just too tired after work, or simply didn’t remember – we may have been able to pass this levy long ago. Don’t be apathetic. Make your vote work for you, your kids, and your community.

Get out and rock the vote!