It matters

“American youth attributes much more importance to arriving at driver’s license age than at voting age,” philosopher Marshall McLuhan said.

McLuhan may have a point when it comes to the majority of youth in the Western world. However, the Liberty University community is different. As a Christian society, voting matters. Christianity calls upon the faithful to engage in and change the culture in which they are immersed.

“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user,” President Theodore Roosevelt said.

This is the power of a vote: the power to change, to influence, to inspire. As Americans, we have a right. As Christians, we have an obligation — an obligation to fire the rifle.

When election season rolls around, all too often we get bogged down with the bipartisan chatter and forget the blessing that comes with the freedom to talk, think, learn and vote: the power to influence.

The United States has a rich history of freedom. Our freedom has not always come swiftly or as easily as it should have, but it has been realized nonetheless. It is in our continuing resolve to shape our nation that freedom will continue to flourish.

Every vote matters, and every election counts. These freedoms shape the culture, society — and, ultimately, world — in which we live. On May 6, we have the opportunity to help shape Lynchburg. For most registered voters at Liberty, you can cast your ballot at the Vines Center.

Prove McLuhan wrong. Fire the rifle.