Now that Mitt Romney has secured the nomination and Obama has officially “launched” his campaign, we are off and running. Are you excited yet? Can you just not wait to make your selection for President?

Hmmmm, as expected. You seem to have a case of the doldrums. I hear you saying it: “What difference does it make anyway?” “They’re all the same.” “No one really cares about me.” “It doesn’t matter who gets elected because they just fight anyway.”

I understand your frustration and I acknowledge it. But I want to remind you that Democracy is a REPRESENTATIVE government. Even if you believe that you do not like your choices, you still need to cast a ballot. The greatest failure of a democracy is the default of participation.

When you are whining and complaining about the “choices” you have to select from for President, please remember that American soldiers are fighting for your freedom around the world today. Pause and give thanks for how lucky you are to live in a society that gives you choices, even if you don’t like them.

And if you don’t like it, do something about it. Representative government can only occur through the participation of its citizens.

So, tune out the Super PACs, tune out the rhetoric, and research genuine positions on issues. You have 6 months to study for your exam. Make the most of it!