As an American it is highly likely that you have heard this phrase before. We sit in the drive through, tell the person what we want, and good ol' Ronald McDonald takes our money and makes our two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. We pay for what we get - an equation even the least savvy of mathematicians can comprehend.

As Americans we know that when we buy a movie ticket we are guaranteed a showing that will occupy, if not entertain us for a few hours. When we walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch and drop a hundred dollars we are certain that we'll walk away with some quality clothes... well at least a nice pair of boxer shorts or socks.

That knowledge is bred into us. We learn that when we give someone our money, we should expect something in return. For the most part we should have some say as to what that "something" is.

But over time an exception has formed.

When the dreaded 16th of April rolls around, Americans reach into their padded wallets, pull out a portion of their earnings, grudgingly slip it in an envelope, slap on a stamp, and ship it out to the IRS, never to see it again. Then, we go out with

Some argue that it isn't the electorates fault; they say they can't and won't support the poor candidates that run for office. They claim, like Jesse Jackson did, that "we are a society adrift because of a lack of leadership in the places where it matters the most." (A time for the people, Jesse Jackson, 2000)

As Americans we live in a world of efficiency and convenience and we shouldn't have to tolerate an arduous voting process, and organizations are trying to accommodate those needs. Absentee ballots distributed by the parties, one-time registration, and the possibility of online voting are all positive solutions to mobilize voters. The voting system is functional and , now as citizens we have to act. America should never expect a 90% voter turnout let alone 100%, but for a majority of the citizens to avoid the polls on Election Day is a disgrace. Many voters don't understand the leverage their vote has; they just cast it because it's an engrained habit. It's time for that to change. Not the habit, the ignorance.

But our voting silence hasn't always existed.

Our country was designed to be ruled by its citizens, it was designed to be molded by its constituents. It turns out that of the people, by the people, and for the people isn't just a punch line after all. The list of reasons to vote are endless and the process grows simpler and

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jesse Jackson, Happy Meal, Committee FEC, Abercrombie Fitch, Election Day, Ronald McDonald, , voter turnout, punch line, worst form, jesse jackson, voted 1996, people people,
Approximate Word count = 912
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)