As fall progresses toward winter, we look forward to exercising our right to vote. Candidates bombard us with campaign slogans and commercials with phrases like “donated all of his expensive old clothes” or “she was a school teacher, thus she knows the importance of education.”

This time of year is exciting for me. I know it seems strange, but somehow the idea that it is our privilege to choose who will represent us on the local, county, state, national and even international level is thrilling.

What other country allows its people to openly debate the abilities of one candidate to another so freely and with gusto?

The right to vote is an opportunity that many our age seem to ignore. Why wouldn’t 18- to 25- year-olds choose to exercise that right? College kids complain about the way that the government treats us and they whine about the tuition hikes. Why not choose to make a difference by filling out a simple form to get registered and then exercising your right?

The agriculture industry needs to encourage farmers and producers to vote as well. Obviously in a state like ours, agriculture has a major effect on the voting and candidate choice and some might feel that the only people who vote in this state are the farmers. However, what about agriculture students? Do we positively represent our age group and our industry? Most would assume that answer would be yes due to the very emotional and personal way people feel about farming, even people aged 18 to 25.

However, after doing a very brief survey of those ag students around me I was surprised to find that many thought they were but weren’t sure, or they knew they weren’t and didn’t plan to register to vote.

Obviously this inflamed the already-smoldering feeling of disappointment in my age group.

“If you don’t vote you shouldn’t complain” seems to be a recurring theme. Really, what gives you the right to criticize the choices of others that choose to vote? Many might feel that one little vote isn’t going to make a whole lot of difference in the outcome of the election.

Thinking back to the previous presidential election, one realizes this is just not the case. My great-grandfather, a staunch Democrat and a farmer, exercised his right to vote until the day he died. He lived through the Great Depression, the Kennedy assassination, the Watergate scandal, and even the Whitewater scandal. Grandpa knew how important it was to exercise this right, and he often made it a point to discuss political issues with me as a child.

Some of his ideas may have been a little out there, but he knew what he wanted and thought he knew how to get there.

This may seem sort of antiquated to some, but isn’t that what voting is about — getting out there and making your choice and supporting it no matter what comes up? Grandpa was a farmer and on the average he supported farm issues. Today’s political opponents are sometimes hard to read when it comes to agriculture issues.

Some claim relationships to an agriculture background while others just ignore the issue altogether. In Iowa, ignoring agriculture won’t get you very far because eventually you will have to face the facts. Our state requires that agriculture be taken care of, just like any other state’s main economic system. Granted, there are other issues that require attention — education and taxes rank high on that list as well.

So as the fall advances, remember the right you have been given, take time and find out about the candidates. Learn about the issues they represent.

You might just be happy with the results you see in the government.

Danelle Zellmer

is a junior in public service and administration in

agriculture from Atlantic.