Standing up for your principles is a serious and courageous thing.  When a person believes deeply and is willing to stand their ground regardless of the cost, it is truly a sight to behold.  There are those that are making such a choice as we approach Election Day.  The choice they are making is to do absolutely nothing on that day...thereby sending a message to our elected leaders.  If you are one of that mind, this message is for you.

Let's be honest here, the Congressional approval rating has been pitiful...lucky if it breaks 30%.  It's pretty clear the people are disgruntled with their elected leaders.  You may even consider your vote for them an endorsement for their poor performance.  Makes sense on the surface...but consider this...you may be missing a key player in this lack of leadership...you.

That's right, this is a government of, by, and for the people...not just pretty words, that means that you, personally, have a duty and responsibility to participate in the direction of this country.  You are the boss, the people you elect work for you...the people you allow to be elected work for you...and either way, the success or failure is ultimately your responsibility.  Is Teddy Kennedy really responsible for his actions in the Senate?  No!  Perhaps on his first term...but he is a known quantity after all of this time, he is who he is, that won't change.  Therefore, his actions are the direct responsibility of the People of Massachusetts.  Should John Murtha be reelected, his actions will be the direct responsibility of the People of Pennsylvania's 12th District.

Here is what you have to ask yourself...do your personal principles outweigh the most urgent and important needs of your country?

• Picture yourself talking one on one with a member of our military...explaining to them the merits of your principles versus electing the leaders that will support their mission.
• Picture yourself talking one on one with a purple fingered-Iraqi...explaining to them the merits of your principles versus electing the leaders that will support their fragile freedom.
• Picture yourself talking one on one with the next victim of a terrorist attack at home...explaining to them the merits of your principles versus electing the leaders that will stay on the offense in the war.

Now the statements above have a lot of references to "you" in them.  Again, let's be honest...this responsibility of the People is a team effort.  You are part of that team.  As a fellow teammate, this is not meant to anger you or belittle your choices up to this point...they are valid and understandable.  But sitting out the vote is not the way to handle it.  That would be true in any age, however make no mistake this time, right now, is the greatest ideological struggle of our time and beyond.  The choices we make now have far reaching and potentially dire consequences.  Those of you who sit this out will not be able to explain your principled-inaction to those who suffer the consequences...much less justify it.

Finally...just like the voters are a team, the political parties are a team.  A vote for a Democrat even a conservative one brings all Democrats into power (after which the conservative Democrat you voted for will be kicked to the curb by the liberal ones that out number him or her).  Personally, I'm usually an advocate to vote for the best person regardless of political party but the stakes are too high during these perilous times.  We have to think of this in terms of which team should be in power.  So please, get out and vote on Tuesday...and vote Republican!  We need you!!

One of our great President's (ironically a Democrat) said it best:

"Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country."  -JFK