In response to Grace Low's letter regarding why she won't vote this\nyear: you are absolutely right. Neither of the candidates is perfect.\nHowever, until the fictional president Andrew Shepherd decides to run, we will never have a perfect candidate. Even if you wish for another JFK, remember that he also brought us to the brink of nuclear destruction. Nobody's perfect.\nIt is unbelievably important that you vote this year, even if you feel you're choosing the least of several evils. Why? Because the stakes are far too important to do nothing. The consequences of your choice may mean getting drafted into a war (women too), not getting a job or insurance after graduation due to a worsening economy, and losing more of your civil liberties. The candidates offer clear choices, and a choice of any kind is better than throwing your choices away.
This election familiar territory for many. For instance, during the first presidential election after I turned 18, the US was finishing a war in the Middle East, and the economy had tanked. Neither major party candidate fit all my criteria for a great leader. Sound familiar? \nHowever, the ho-hum winner of that election made an immediate impact in my life. The very next year, the federal government started offering direct student loans, thus saving me from begging a private bank so that I could go to college. Later on, I was able to continue my health insurance coverage even after I left my first post-college job (a job I landed - and replaced - because the economy had improved). And now, in my 30s, my job status is guaranteed if I need to take several weeks of family leave for emergencies. And it's all because of that administration's initiatives. Is that enough of an unlikely "revolution" to convince you to vote? \nPeople fought wars so that you could make a choice. Vote!
