COMMENTARY : Make Sure 18-Year-Olds Vote

My wife and I will soon go through the emotional trauma of having our firstborn turn 18. We have decided, therefore, that it is time that we sit her down and provide her with some sound parental advice.

She’s heard all this before, of course. It was taught in school, and she and her friends have undoubtedly discussed this subject, but we want to provide her with our insight, to give her the benefit of our mistakes and, most importantly, to encourage her not to miss out on some of the opportunities that we missed.

We want to make sure she votes.

Neither my wife or I can ever recall a time when our parents spoke with us about the responsibility of exercising our franchise. It was a subject that was apparently lost in the shuffle of lectures about teen dating, driving the family car, and Wait Until You Have Kids And Then You’ll Find Out! Drugs and alcohol we talked about; voting we didn’t. As a result, though we never used drugs, we also didn’t always use our vote.

It is our intention to sit down with Heather and, first of all, make sure she knows when and where to register. Her party affiliation, if any, is, of course, her business, not ours. So, too, is the manner in which she uses her vote, but it is of utmost importance that her vote be cast.

We’ll sit down and discuss the candidates and the issues as they are explained in the voter’s pamphlet. We hope that some of these discussions will be lively ones so that together we will explore as much as we can--the ins and outs of the people and the proposed laws--before our votes are cast. Much like bullets, once they are used, votes cannot be called back and changed.

I have always taken a certain pride in the fact that, since I left military service, I have voted in every national election and in most local ones. My wife feels the same way. Voting is one of our most important constitutional rights and should be used responsibly.

It has always amazed me that the number of people who speak out about the results of an election are sometimes numerically greater than the number of people who actually cast their ballots. Election dates are not kept secret nor are the locations of the polling places. In a country where the basic concept is that the majority rules the land, the majority doesn’t always vote.

There are undoubtedly hundreds of thousands of Americans who have had one or more of their children turn 18 in the past year or so. To those of you, I say, take the time to explain to these young adults that their votes are important. Vitally so.

A wasted vote is a wasted opportunity to let our government representatives know what we want them to accomplish.

Get them to register, discuss the issues, and then make sure you go with them on election day and vote right alongside of them. Start a family tradition.

Mahoney is police chief of South Pasadena.