You get what you vote for

             Do you believe that you get what you vote for? Nice try Patrick, I voted for the other person that didn’t win. Yes I know you did, but in a democracy the majority voted for the same person, and they won. Again Patrick, who won because I didn’t pick the winner? That is the crux of it all isn’t it. Does your vote count? If you don’t vote will that send a statement? The wrong leader usually gets in because people did not vote or they did not care who they voted for.

            The German people kind of voted in Hitler in the 1930’s. The First World War had ruined Germany and they were desperately poor. Hitler offered them prosperity and jobs. There is a saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” To vote for what you want or need is not always the best answer. Sometimes looking past the present promises is a better vote. That saying above means we need to be strong and sustained rather than satisfied in the moment. Voting is more than you think.

            Looking back at Germany and you see that they had money, food, and work, but at what cost in only 6 short years. About 14 million people died because of the vote they took a short time before. People today say “Patrick that was then, voting would not have those consequences today.” Since Obama took office in America the national debt has risen almost double from 10 trillion to 18 trillion in 7 short years. The promise of this president in 2008 was “"Change we can believe in" and the chant "Yes We Can". Is voting still relevant today?

            What does God have to say about voting? In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” We vote for today and want to be fed and clothed. God knows that listening and desiring what we want can lead to the root of all evil. The right vote might not look like the best vote.

            Ben Franklin wrote “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.” The founding fathers of America wrote many lines like this one above. They knew sacrifice and hard work. They knew the importance of good people doing what’s right over what we desire. Your vote does mean something. Doing what’s right is better than getting what you want. Win or lose it’s a privilege to vote.

            I know I keep coming back to Hitler but he is a good example. After the election he proclaimed himself chancellor for life. I look at it as one vote and one mistake killed 2.3 billion people all over the world. I know I like the conservative party in Canada. Have they been ideal? Well no, but they consistently try and make this place fiscally responsible and safe for its citizens. The other parties offer jobs, drugs, and change. In America they will hit a crossroads next year. They tried someone for the last 8 years who is not white. Was not white the answer to all their problems? I wonder what the voting trend of Americans will look like if “White male” is not allowed to win anymore.

            I have a wish list for Canadian and American voters.

I wish people would pick someone based on their credentials rather than a fancy slogan.

I wish people would vote with their head rather than their heart.

I wish people would consider what’s best over what we desire.

I wish people could see that who you vote for is a reflection of your heart.

I wish people would vote.

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