[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4731]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO ARJUN KUNJILWAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Arjun Kunjilwar attends Dawson High School in Pearland, Texas. The 
essay topic is: in your opinion, why is it important to be involved in 
the political process?


    Voting: A Powerful Way to Get Involved in the Political Process

       During the time when the US Constitution was first 
     proposed, why was it important that every one of the 13 
     states ratified it? There wasn't a need for a unanimous vote, 
     but there was a need for unity and full cooperation. In a 
     similar sense, while voting on an issue doesn't have to be 
     undisputed, it represents a loyalty and adherence to the 
     American belief of democracy where individual voices and 
     opinions can be freely expressed. Every citizen should vote 
     in any election because individual beliefs can unite together 
     to achieve anything desired. A vote can represent so many 
     things. It has the power to magnify one's voice so that it 
     can be heard by others. It can help drive change when many 
     are put together. It signifies a person's concern and 
     perspective of what actions will lead to improvement. It can 
     unite a group of people to help work towards a certain goal.
       In today's society, presidential election voting seems to 
     have lost some of its importance. Since 2004, while the 
     number of people who are eligible to vote has increased by 
     18,000 (attributed to increasing population), the number of 
     people who actually fill out the ballot has increased only 
     about 7,000, and the percent of the population that actually 
     does vote has dropped about 2%. In a society that constantly 
     focuses on what can be improved, voting provides the stimulus 
     for change. People may choose not to vote because they don't 
     feel as if their opinion will cause or spark anything. Yet, 
     voting is the most efficient tool in the hands of the public 
     that can steer the nation in the direction they desire. It 
     also allows the governing bodies to know what is exactly 
     expected of them and keeps them in check. Voting therefore, 
     represents an unalienable role in the government, and should 
     be considered as an important duty of every citizen.
       Finally the right to vote it is the greatest symbol of any 
     democracy where the freedom to make choices will always 
     prevail. While the voting process might not give every 
     citizen his or her vision of a perfect society, those who 
     choose to vote express a loyalty to their nation and the want 
     to have it functioning perfectly. So while all votes might 
     not be needed to determine a majority, doesn't each and every 
     one of them have their own value?

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