I can still remember turning 18 years old and all the excitement of becoming an adult. I was excited yet humbled and frightened. I had the power to make my own decisions and step out of the rule of my guardians for the first time in my life, but I also had to register to be drafted for war. I couldn't drink yet, but I could now die for the right to. I could also be charged as an adult for any crimes I might be involved with. I could now join the military or work full time. But the most memorable part of turning 18 for me was gaining the power to vote.
I remember learning in school about how hard won was the right to vote for many even in this country; from non-landowners to non-Caucasian races and women. The right to vote has not been freely given; people have died for it. How could I not vote, knowing what people have been through for the right to do so?
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