- “To vote is like the payment of a debt, a duty never to be neglected , if its performance is possible.” (Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President )
- “We the People are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts—not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” (Abraham Lincoln, 16th President)
- “A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” (Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President)
- “If a republic government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” (Noah Webster, American educator and dictionary developer)
- “It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government.” (Thomas Paine, Patriot and pamphleteer)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower explained, “Every step we take towards making the State our Caretaker of our lives, by that much we move toward making the state our Master.” Let us stave off any human or government becoming our master by being a voting people. Who cares that this is not a presidential election year? There are still matters in every district and precinct about which we should be concerned. Every opportunity we have to vote, every chance we have to express where we believe the government should and should not be involved, and every time we can demonstrate our rights freely, we must take it. Our fifteenth president, James Buchanan, once said, “I like the noise of democracy.” Let’s get out Tuesday, November 5th, 2013, and make some noise!