"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."

I have heard the grumblings among Conservatives who are undecided whether they will even bother to vote this time around. They're upset that, even though the GOP has held the majority in both Houses and in the Executive branch, our leadership has gone Liberal on us -- the GOP has been spending like drunken sailors and is catering too much to the Left. I don't disagree with that; however, Election Day is not the day to voice discontent.

With mid-term elections right around the corner, I'm hearing a lot of nonsense out of normally right-thinking, smart people. Not vote? Stay home? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Look, if you are discontented with the way our Republican majority has been performing, you need to let them know DURING their terms, not on Election Day.

Our obligation as citizens is to be sure that our representatives in Congress get an occasional "report card" from us. The Kentucky delegation in Washington, DC have a number of "attaboy" and "what the heck were you thinking?!" messages from yours truly. Senators McConnell and Bunning and Representative Northup have all heard from me throughout their terms in office. When I'm feeling well-represented and when I'm feeling quite let down by their votes I let them know. How can they know how well they're representing their constituents if we don't tell them?
Remember the pictures that were all over our televisions during the first free Iraqi election in 50 years? Remember the reports -- even CNN couldn't cast a negative shadow on that! -- of how many Iraqis flooded the poling places in Iraq? They exceeded our average voter turnout in any given year! Those folks braved the threat of death and walked for miles to get to their polling places and exercise their newly-won vote!

At best, Americans appreciate their responsibilities and exercise them proudly; at worst, we are lazy when the going gets rough. Have we become so spoiled, so lazy that we cannot appreciate the hard-won privilege? Call me an optimist but I'd like to think that we are at our best this year with so much at stake. Not just for ourselves but for others who are oppressed by Islamofascist terrorists around the globe. A statement needs to be made this year more than ever.

A profound line from the lyrics of the song "Freewill" (hear a snippet) by the band Rush is pertinent to this year's elections: "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice." No truer words were ever sung. (Yeah, I know... a Canadian band? Well, at least they shut up and sing, eh?)

Make the right choice this year, Conservatives. Do not allow your choice to be made for you in your absense. Americans should be proud of what we've accomplished; have we lost our pride? Can we not be proud as the Iraqis were proud? Our country helped them win the privilege of voting and they rewarded us with their enthusiasm and courage. Can we not reward ourselves with enthusiasm that does not even require courage on our part?

Americans ought to be showing the world every election year just how sacred we hold this privilege. This year more than ever. Voting determines our future. The privilege to determine our own future as a country was hard won by the blood of many in our past. The blood of many patriots is being shed today to ensure our nation's security as we go to the polls on Election Day this year to exercise our patriot duty.

Do not choose not to decide because you will still have made a choice...