Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time…

– Winston Churchill, November 1947

Perhaps no truer words regarding the establishment of government have ever been spoken. Democracy — or a constitutional republic or a representative democracy, whichever side of the argument you fall on regarding our particular brand of democracy — is a messy business. But as Churchill noted, it’s still superior to all the others.

Why? Because as citizens of this great nation we are empowered to have our voices heard. Now, our democracy is not foolproof. We may elect individuals who ultimately do not carry out the wishes of their constituents. We may elect individuals and immediately regret our decisions. But the point is that we, the people, get to select them. And if we’re unhappy with their performance, we get to select somebody else to replace them.

As individuals, we don’t always get what we want on Election Day, but we do get what is desired by the majority of our friends and neighbors. And that is what makes our form of government, our democracy, the best form of government that has ever been tried. But it only works if the majority of us vote. Please, make no excuses. Go to the polls on Tuesday and let your voice be heard.