THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, November 3, 1995               TAG: 9511030040
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LARA CAHILL, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

WHY WE DON'T VOTE: REMEMBER THAT EVERY VOTE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT

AS YOU WALK down the street, you see the names. As you watch the television, you see the faces. As you listen to the radio, you hear the promise. Are you paying attention to the details?

You should be.

For those high school students who have been extended the privilege and the right of voting as a result of 1971's 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - lowering the voting age to 18 - it is time to experience democracy first hand. And for those students whose parents still sign their permission slips, start preparing now.

A primary reason American teenagers do not take the initiative to vote is that we are weak. Raised in an age when graphing calculators earn our A's and Cliff's Notes are valid substitutes for novels (at least as we are concerned), today's teens don't take the time out of their seemingly busy schedules to do their part as U.S. citizens.

If you have any concern for the future of your country, you should take your right and responsibility seriously. A wise man once said, ``Liberty means responsibility - this is why men dread it.''

Democracy is not a spectator sport. In order for the political authority to remain in the hands of the people, it is necessary for the new generation of voters to increase their involvement. With only one-third of Americans currently electing our nation's representatives, it is doubtful whether this is democracy.

Nonetheless, ``freedom'' still rings. You can still worship at the church of your choice, cast a secret ballot and even criticize your government without fearing a knock at the door at midnight. However, if you don't vote, what right do you have to complain.

Many dismiss their obligation to vote with the excuse that ``my one vote will never make a difference.'' They're wrong. You never know when your vote could be the deciding one.

There have been several instances in which one vote altered the course of history. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German. In 1845, one vote made Texas part of the Union. (That one vote was cast by a senator who had been elected by one vote). In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler control of the Nazi party. So, is your one vote all that important? You bet it is. MEMO: Lara Cahill is a senior at Maury High School. by CNB