Why vote? Fourth-grade students at Stevens Creek Elementary speak out

Editor:

In my fourth-grade Social Studies class at Stevens Creek Elementary, we have been learning about the election process. The students are excited about the responsibility of voting and showing patriotism! It is important for the adults in our community to know that there are amazing children here in our county that are such strong citizens and will make great leaders someday.

These are responses from some of my students in reaction to the statement, "Voting is a right that we have in our country. In some countries the people are not allowed to vote. Write your opinion on our freedom to vote."

Sarah VC-Hoese

Fourth-grade teacher

Stevens Creek

Grace Whitten:

If we couldn't vote then we could get a leader like Saddam Hussein. I am glad you get a chance to vote because it's a freedom. You should vote but you won't get in trouble if you don't vote. You get registered so you can vote. You have to be 18 to vote. When you get a Georgia Voting Card it tells you where to go to vote.

Chad Capps:

Everybody should vote, even children. Grown-ups have voted all their lives except when they were children. Why can't we fill out a voter form, we are smart...aren't we? You have to be 18 to vote. I don't like that rule, but some people do.

Derek Dewosky:

Our freedom to vote is fair. I would vote because if you move overseas you maybe wouldn't be able to vote. ... It is important to vote because what if it was President Bush against Saddam. What if Saddam got more votes then Bush? We would all try to leave America but he might close down the airports. That is why it is important to vote.

Bonnie Herald:

We deserve to vote because if we didn't we wouldn't be a democracy; instead we'd be a dictatorship. If we didn't vote we might have the wrong person for president. If we couldn't vote we might end up having a president like Saddam Hussein. We have a right to vote and get to know our presidents better. If we couldn't vote America would probably be ruined.

Adam Davis:

We are lucky, because some people in other countries can say I'm you leader and that is it. But we can choose who we want....

Kathleen Quebedeaux:

Voting is important because before the government makes a decision they see what the people think. It is bad that some people don't vote. So, when the government makes a decision they don't get our real opinion.

Abby Herman:

We all should be able to vote. We all have good inside of us and we should be able to vote for who we want. If you can vote you should because everyone wants what's best for us. I know you have to be 18 to vote, but you should just talk to your parents about it and you will be fine.

Elizabeth Rodriguez:

I would vote because people in Iraq had Saddam Hussein and they didn't get to vote. Someone very good may not win because people don't vote. If you vote that won't happen because he will get a lot of votes and he will win. If you want to vote you have to be 18 years old. So vote and pick the president you want and you will be happy! Have a good time voting!

Robby Bishop:

Voting is cool because you get to pick who you want to be president. Voting is fair because it is better than having a bad president. I like voting because I like the excitement.

Caroline McKoy:

It is important to vote because if we had no president we wouldn't have anyone to protect us. Also, because if we had no laws there would be a lot of people who would die because they do bad things. Last but not least, it is important to vote because it is just like having a principal, having someone to make sure we are safe.

Cameron Granfeldt:

Voting is right because we need a good leader who will keep us from slavery, pain and lead us to freedom. We need to vote to get a good leader for our country. We need to vote because if we don't vote they could make it a dictatorship and the people of America don't want that. What I am saying is...Vote for a good leader, citizens of America!

Hannah Swing:

If I could vote I would. I am glad I live in America because we have freedom and the right to vote. Voting makes me feel a lot of different ways. I am happy for the people who do vote, I am excited because when I am 18 I will have fun and vote, and I am mad because some people who can vote just sit around and don't do anything to help our country. To vote you have to be 18, you have to register, then you get a voters registration card and that allows you to vote.

Belle Brooks:

It is a great and wonderful right to be allowed to vote. I enjoy the theory of every vote counts. So, I think that you should take the offering of being able to vote. You have to be at least 18 years old to vote. In other words, I would take the right of voting every time I got the chance!

Elizabeth Hundt:

In America we are allowed to vote for democracy and for a good life, but in other countries you can't. People in America can be 18 or older to vote. People in Iraq couldn't vote because of Saddam Hussein. He killed people for no reason. They didn't even get to vote for him. But now he is in prison. America is all about rights for a good leader and America is a great place!

Taylor Dewosky:

We should always accept (our freedom to vote) because it might be a once in a lifetime chance. It also makes me mad at the rulers because they won't let other people vote and they kill people for fun. I mean, come on, they should let somebody vote. It makes me go crazy that they don't let people vote.

Hannah Weinberger:

Everyone should have the right to vote so they can give their opinion. I wish I could vote but you have to be 18 and be registered to vote. I am glad that we have presidents instead of a king.

Carson Crowley:

It is so great that we can vote because it gives us more freedom. I think that everybody should be able to vote. If you have that privilege you should do it. It makes me really excited when I turn 18 because it is letting me have more freedom that I already have. It makes me excited when I turn 35 because I might want to try to be president. I still think that other countries should have the same privileges as we do in every single thing we get to do.

Sarah Bowles:

It is important to have the right to vote because you know what kind of president you want. Voting is a very important thing because we want a president that can keep our country safe. You should be able to choose your president. That is why we have the right to vote and so should every country. Some of our presidents take the time to actually help other countries.