by Gus Blackwell, Rep.-61
Speaker Pro-Tempore
Did you know it has been almost 400 years since the first pilgrims came to America? These people were willing to give up everything to climb onto a small ship with dozen of others on which they would very likely die and attempt to come to a land with no communities, no infrastructure and a promise of constant struggle and sacrifice.
There were no homes waiting for them, no roads to travel and no markets to buy food. Our founding fathers built their own homes and roads, cleared their own land and planted their own food.
They did it all in the quest for Freedom – freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Freedom to have the type of life they longed for without obstruction from the government.
Ultimately, in that vein, American men and women have taken up arms to defend those very ideals, both here and on foreign soil. More than one million American men and women have paid the ultimate price in the service of our country, so each of us here today could have a better life, founded on the principles of freedom and democracy.
We owe a debt to these fallen and surviving servicemen and women. It is a debt which can only be repaid by never forgetting, by remembering what they did and what they stood for and by exercising our right to take part in the democratic process they died for.
Your vote matters. Your vote is your voice in a system founded on government, by the people, for the people. Voting is a responsibility we owe to our country and to our community. Perhaps, you feel as though our system has morphed into something never intended by the founding fathers, but you may not use that as an excuse to fail the future generations who are counting on you to hold the line and preserve our freedoms we so take for granted.
The government has been charged with defending our freedoms, providing education to its citizens and creating a climate where its citizens can thrive. We are blessed above all nations with a standard of living other countries can only long for, yet we are quick to grumble and complain and fail to recognize this blessing. Apathy doesn’t accomplish anything except insure our society continues to erode and our very foundations crumble.
The system is not perfect. Neither are the voters and the elected officials; but it is the best system I know about. It has made ours the greatest nation on earth. Your vote is your voice. Don’t take your freedoms for granted! Work to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I am working throughout the district and can be reached at 405-557-7384 or at home at 580-349-2263. You can e-mail your thoughts, questions or concerns at gusblackwell@okhouse.gov.
