Make It Count

Early voting began on Monday in Arkansas.  On that first day, people stood in line for hours.  They were excited to have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote.  I did not join the masses on Monday, but I was excited to place my vote on Thursday right after work.  I just barely slid in before the after-work crowd.

I am always surprised when I meet people that do not vote.  Although I am well into my thirties, I vividly remember our Civil Rights Movement unit from the second grade.  As a child, I was dumbfounded to discover that Black America had to fight for their right to vote.  I cried real tears when we watched videos of Civil Rights leaders on the front lines fighting for my entire race.  I was amazed to see people being sprayed with water hoses.  I could not comprehend why police dogs were released on people because they wanted their voice to be heard.  Those lessons pushed and propelled me to be excited to vote.

While it is important to exercise our right to vote, it is equally important to be informed of all the issues that will appear on the ballot.  I started my research on candidates weeks ago, but I neglected to really dig into the issues that would be up for a vote.  If you need information about issues that are on the ballot in the Central Arkansas area, you can go to St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church’s Facebook page and watch this week’s Wednesday Refresh.  LaTonya Laird Austin explained many of the issues on the ballot.  You can press play and listen on your way to work, while you wash dishes, or whatever else you need to get done.

The climate in our country should propel everyone to get to the ballot box.  Or if you are an absentee voter, it should propel you to the post office to get your ballot in the mail.  We all have a vote, and we need to make it count.  #wepreach