This is one of my favorite quotes. I keep a plaque on my desk at work to remind me of my personal and societal responsibility.

If you want the world to be a kinder place, be kind. If you want to see more environmental responsibility, then be environmentally responsible. Hold yourself to the task of making the changes you want to see around you.

I am reminded of this the most during the time of an election. It is the time when I feel I have a larger voice. Voting is a responsibility I take seriously. I research candidates and issues. I never strictly vote “the party line”.

Elections are the time I am also most reminded of the fact that I do not suffer fools lightly. I just cannot understand being willfully ignorant or blindly stubborn. I also do not understand why anyone takes the right to vote for granted by just not doing it.

The battles fought by individuals to have the freedom of voice and the freedom of choice, to have a say by whom and how we are governed…it’s important. It’s the foundation this country was built on and while I cannot fathom the things these individuals went through … it’s awe inspiring. Women were imprisoned, beaten and tortured because they stood up and demanded the right to vote. People of color were beaten, imprisoned and died for the right to vote. Knowing this, how can people so casually ignore the importance and beauty of it? It is the constitutional right, a privilege and responsibility of every individual in our society to take part in this process. VOTE!