[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8073]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           THE RIGHT TO VOTE

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 7, 2008

  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, it's voting season. Presidential primaries 
are being held all across the country, giving U.S. citizens the 
opportunity to vote, a right guaranteed by the 15th Amendment of the 
Constitution. This year, record numbers of citizens of all ages are 
turning out in droves, standing in lines to exercise that right, they 
are even participating in caucuses. As wonderful as it is to see more 
people participating in the election process, turnout is still not as 
high as it should be.
  We live in the greatest country in the world, and enjoy more rights 
than any other country in the world. When you take into consideration 
that many in this country struggled, fought, and even died for the 
right to vote, every able bodied American should proudly vote whenever 
there is an election. We must never become so complacent, busy, or 
apathetic that we take for granted this most important right.
  I was privileged to travel to Iraq, on January 30, 2005, to observe 
its first historic election. Having been in Baghdad and Fallujah and 
other parts of northern Iraq, I went to polling places, and when dawn 
came, the whole country was shut down to vehicular traffic. Slowly, 
surely and defiantly, the Iraqi people, young and old, men and women 
walked to the polls, taking their families, relatives, and neighbors. 
They voted for the very first time and attained the opportunity to make 
a free choice. The atmosphere of democracy unfolding was almost 
carnival in nature, a celebration of their new rights.
  In spite of intimidation, threats, and actual violence, the Iraqi 
people boldly spoke out against the past oppression of Saddam Hussein 
and his dynasty of tyrants and spoke loudly for democracy.
  Almost 300 individuals were wounded because they decided to vote for 
their own rulers, and they wanted to vote for freedom. Many died on 
election day going to or from the polls, yet 60 percent of these proud 
Iraqis walked to 30,000 polling stations. They took a great risk, but 
even after they voted, they stayed around the polling places to watch 
history unfold. When they left the polling booths, they walked down the 
street with their ink-stained right forefinger, signifying that they 
voted, held high in the air, defiant to terrorists, who swore they 
would murder those who voted or attempted to vote. The Iraqi people 
took the risk because freedom was more important to them, they were 
proud to be voters in the first free and fair election, the hope of 
democracy.
  Freedom is not free. It always comes at a cost. Freedom fighters and 
civil rights activists throughout countless generations in this country 
paid a tremendous price to deliver equality and freedom for their 
brothers and sisters and the posterity of others. Thankfully, no one in 
this country risks being shot, or murdered for voting, so there is no 
excuse for able bodied Americans to stay home and remain silent. We 
should be proud to be part of free elections guaranteed by democracy.
  A vote is a voice. It ensures that our democracy is of the people, by 
the people and for the people. Celebrate our hard-earned rights, 
remember those who fought, struggled, and lost their lives so that we 
could reap the benefits. Show our gratitude to those who made your 
freedom and rights possible by showing up at the polls, and proving 
that their sacrifices were not in vain. In this great country, each 
time there is an election, voter turn out should be so high that 
everything is forced to shut down because everyone is at the polls. 
Americans should show the world that this is what democracy is all 
about, and let those who yearn for democracy know that it is definitely 
worth fighting for!
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________