“A republic, if you can keep it.” - Benjamin Franklin

I came across a couple of troubling statistics recently. According to the Military Times, 44% of veterans do not vote. According to the 2nd Amendment advocacy group Gun Owners of America, as many as 10 million gun owners are not registered to vote.

I find this deeply concerning, especially given the current political state of our country. Perhaps I shouldn’t find this surprising, according to ABC, 38% of Americans do not believe that the 2020 presidential election was legitimate. When you don’t think your vote will be counted and you believe the system is rigged, why even participate?

But, if we don’t vote, if we don’t participate in the election, we have no room to complain about the results, fair or not. We are fortunate enough to live in a society that, despite its current crises, is still a republic. Flawed though it may be, it is worth saving. And if we don’t save it now, it may be lost in history.

Make sure you are registered to vote. Research the candidates and issues with a critical and logical mind. Exercise your right to vote, to participate in our representative democracy, perhaps the greatest republic the world has ever known.