VOTE or die

In reviewing posts from week 1, I was expecting almost everyone to say something along the lines of, “ I don’t have any family or friends serving in the war, but I am impacted as most of my life has been spent while we invaded the Middle East to cut back on terrorism.” In reality, most of the responses were very different, however I found each person was able to pinpoint one area of their life where they felt connected – the economy, politics or within friendships.
I was really affected by a statement someone had written, “The closest connection we have is the feeling of horror that invades our minds when we turn on the news and hear a new report of the daily casualties in Iraq. And yet, the war has still deeply affected me, not physically, emotionally, or mentally, but politically.” With today’s primary and the upcoming election, it seems the war has invaded out lives much more than we were expecting, especially since we are trying so hard to release troops. Now, as I am legally allowed to vote, I am sure my counterparts and I will be hearing much more about the war. The right to vote is one sure way we are connected to the war. It is evident that our vote will determine if we are able to bring troops back or continue fighting until we grow old.
It is safe to say that regardless of how the war has affected us over the past few years – in the economy, our families, and our education – we are all very much part of the war now. Voting for the next president will really determine how connected we are to war, whether we chose to be or not.