We could write letters. We are legally allowed to burn flags to make a point. We can peacefully petition the government. But we vote. And voting is how we, as a society, measure political participation.

“Who did you vote for?”
“I didn’t vote,” one says hesitantly.
“YOU DON’T VOTE! You are not a model citizen.”

That conversation would go a little like that, right? We are encouraged- scratch that, demanded, to vote as kids. We are told it’s what Americans do. It’s our civic duty, so I hear. It’s what makes us different than everyone else, some might believe.

But why?
Let me take a stab at this answer.

Voting makes us equal.

It’s the only time a millionaire media magnate and a poor person on 18th and Pennsylvania count the same.
It’s the only time a woman surrounded by recognition and diplomas and a elderly man whose 5th grade education had to be enough count the same.
It’s the only time a seasoned politico counts the same as the fresh-faced, first-time voter count the same.

Voting is the one time that we, as Americans, count as one.

Now I could go into the veiled effect, lack there of, of a vote cast, but that’s just discouraging. I don’t want to talk about how the electoral college and the popular vote might be different (Sorry, Al). I’m not going to talk about how some ballots don’t work and some voters are more competent than others (no offense Florida, and you’re welcome W). I’m not going to talk about how polling places might not be equipped to handle the amount of voters it will see in a day, and turn some voters away after hours of standing in line in a swing state (sorry Ohio and Kerry, and you’re welcome again W). I’m not to going to talk about the flaws that might exist in our system, because I don’t want you to think that I think our system doesn’t work. For the few flaws our system may have, it has 146 million reasons why it works.

So when it all comes down to it, when you look at the one thing that makes us, all the citizens of America, the same and count, what will you find? You might be surprised. You might not believe. You might have thought that it was just something crooked politicians preached from a podium. But here’s what you will find…

We are one.

During a class a couple days ago, a former high-ranking Republican speechwriter was talking to my class and she gave us advice. Now I normally take the advice of a Republican with a grain of salt, but this seemed to be good advice. She said, “Write. You (my generation, Generation Y, Millennial Generation, Generation Next, whatever you want to call us) have the opportunity to write and be published on new platforms.” Once again, the fact that I am taking advice from a Republican is a big deal. So, now is the beginning of more documentation. This time though, instead of a journey that I did not in fact document, it will be thought, ideas, questions of society. Or maybe I will just humor myself with by thinking I can actually answer or pose the kind of deeper questions I would like. I guess we’ll see…

Currently, I am sitting in the Pittsburgh Airport waiting for my flight. As you can imagine, I am excited- and nervous. The nerves are quickly being overtaken by excitement though. Currently, I have nothing more to say except to those of you that matter (you know who you are), I will miss you. To everyone else, I’ll see you later.

Ciao