A long time ago African Americans and women did not have the right to vote. People fought and some lost their lives for us to gain the right to vote. For many years the minority voice was not heard and now here’s your chance. Even though you may feel you are only one person your vote still makes a difference.

No matter what race you are it is important to vote because one person’s vote does make a difference. The 2008 election will go down in the history books because we have never had an African- American presidential candidate come so far in a U.S. election and if you vote you’ll be a part of this history. No matter who you are, where you have come from, or what your background is it does not matter when you go to the polls to vote. All that matters is that you can make a difference by voting. When the election is over and Barack Obama has won, everyone is talking about the process of voting, who they voted for, how cool it was and you are the only who hasn’t voted you will feel bad that you didn’t participate in this historical election. When you vote you don’t just vote and make a difference for yourself you make a difference for everyone in the U.S.A. It is important to vote because you can make change, each and every vote counts.

When you vote think about what candidate will help America. Think about the starving and kidnapped children, and the kids being taken advantaged of. Think of the candidate that will help animals and the environment in all the ways he can. Your single vote can help your country in some many ways.

Next time someone tells you that you need to vote to make a difference and lectures you about all that the issues at hand remember that they can’t go out and vote for you. They can only make their choice to vote and/or who to vote for.

Stop being lazy, get up, get to the polls and exercise you right to vote. It is your choice to go to the polls and vote for Barack Obama. It is not my choice, it is not the LA Sentinel’s choice, it is not Barack Obama’s choice. IT IS YOUR CHOICE! When you get up and go to vote, don’t just think about yourself think about the entire United States and all the important issues. The U.S. People will thank you when you vote for Barack Obama because you have made a difference by getting up and voting. More importantly you should be proud of yourself for contributing to history.

—The author, Kiyomi Calloway is 9 years old

Published in : Op-Ed, Op-Ed