People died so you'd have the right to vote

I received an email this morning from MoveOn.org (subject "Top 5 reasons to vote in New Jersey")

On the surface it is yet another email that encourages voters to vote, but then one paragraph caught my attention. It reads

People died so you'd have the right to vote. Self-government—voting to choose our own leaders—is the original American dream. We are heir to a centuries-long struggle for freedom: the American revolution, and the battles to extend the franchise to those without property, to women, to people of color, and to young people. This year, many will still be denied their right to vote. For those of us who have that right, it's precious. If we waste it, we dishonor those who fought for it and those who fight still.

It is so true! People tend to forget how life was like before universal suffrage. I came from a place where universal suffrage is still up in the air and it may or may not happen 12 years later. We can't even elect our mayor, not to mention our president or premiere. So I have some taste of how miserable life can be when it comes to politics and public affairs.

I also want to add this. Americian people made the wrong choice eight years ago. As a consequence, many people died from that choice. These includes more than 88,851 innocent Iraqi people (note: this number only includes "documented civilian deaths" -- there are likely to have some deaths that had not been documented in a war situation, also military deaths are not included) and more than 4,190 American soldiers. Furthermore, more than 30,764 American soldiers were wounded and many more families had their lives shattered. Choosing a right president is, in a way, a life-and-death issue.

So, if you can vote, please do, and do so carefully. Thank you!