Election Day
Today we get to exercise our right as “free” men and women to elect those who would represent our interests, as an individual, but also as a contributor to a larger cause. Have you ever wondered where does this right to vote originate?
As a Republic (not a democracy as so many people want to say we are) we are a nation like no other nation. When you look at our nation’s roots they did not begin with silvery, but with those escaping religious slavery seeking the right to worship as they saw fit. These individuals and families left England after Martin Luther (1483–1546) began the Protestant Reformation (1517). As a Catholic Priest and educator, Luther broke away from the Catholic Church due to corruption and false teachings of the Bible which was only written in Latin. Luther is credited with translating the Bible into the people’s language. Religious leaders and the King of England excommunicated Luther from the Catholic church. The government and the church attempted to control the masses who separated themselves from the church leadership. These “pilgrims” also known as “separatists” began to flee their homeland of England seeking religious freedom. They traveled to Denmark, Holland, Scotland, and elsewhere eventually finding their way aboard a ship to the eastern shores of America.
Many of those heading to America were of different faiths but all were seeking a way to get out from under tyranical governments and religious rulers of their countries. They were Protestants, Baptists, Puritans, Jews, and others seeking a place where they could “self-govern” and establish ownership of their own land. America was unexplored and open to anyone who had the heart and means to travel there.
Many who accompanied the faithful were treasure hunters seeking not God but wealth. They had heard that America was a land full of opportunity, natural treasures, and gold. While the followers of Jesus built churches and communities and talked about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” others were scheming to increase their wealth through plantations of tobacco, stealing from the natives, and development of the slave trade (1619) nearly 100 years later.
Today, we are free to pursue the things that make us happy, to work hard, and to own land and property. We have “intellectual” rights, and for the most part, we can speak of what is on our minds. But, like every other nations in history these rights are fragile and can be usurped by those who want to control, manipulate, and enslave. For this reason alone you should vote as every vote matters. Even if your candidate does not win you can say you exercised your right to vote.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana
For further reading: Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University: Protestant Reformation, Written by Robb S. Harvey, published on November 6, 2023 last updated on July 27, 2024.