Thomas A. Jacobs - Every Vote Matters: The Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court

Copyright 2016 by Thomas A. Jacobs, J.D., and Natalie C. Jacobs, J.D.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jacobs, Thomas A., author.

Every vote matters : the power of your voice, from student elections to the Supreme Court / by Tom Jacobs and Natalie Jacobs.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-63198-069-5 (soft cover) ISBN 1-63198-069-6 (soft cover) 1. LawUnited StatesJuvenile literature. I. Jacobs, Natalie, author. II. Title.

KF387.J33 2016

342.73085dc23

2015032349

ePub ISBN: 978-1-63198-071-8

Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content. At the time of this books publication, all facts and figures cited within are the most current available. All telephone numbers, addresses, and website URLs are accurate and active; all publications, organizations, websites, and other resources exist as described in this book; and all have been verified as of October 2015. If you find an error or believe that a resource listed here is not as described, please contact Free Spirit Publishing. Parents, teachers, and other adults: We strongly urge you to monitor childrens use of the Internet.

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Reading Level High SchoolAdult; Interest Level Ages 13 & up; Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level Z+

Edited by Cathy Broberg and Alison Behnke

Cover and interior design by Colleen Rollins

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DEDICATION

Every Vote Matters is dedicated to my grandchildren in the hope that Kali, Taylor, Austin, Parker, Chase, Natalia, Tiago, Levi, Hannah, Paige, Felix, Jackson, Hudson, and Tomas will engage in a positive manner, travel, and contribute to our world in any way they choose.

Tom

To my precious little ones, Paige and Felix, may you grow with courage and strength to use your voice and to allow it to be heard.

Natalie

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Wed like to thank the many people who helped us with this book at various stages over three years of research and writing. Our deepest appreciation goes out to each of you. No project can succeed without the support and encouragement of others. In no particular order, they include:

Anne Lee Johnson, Lucie Jacobs, Harry and Linda Jacobs, Mike Olson, Colin Poe, Professor Ann Beeson, Sharon Dennis, Jeffrey Jacobs, Nicholas Lowinger, Julie and Nick Karnes, Steven Schwartz, Shayne Caffrey, Meera Kumar, Clint Bolick, James Sutton, Peyton Gallovich, Heather Smith, Vanessa Levy, Mike and Lana Malone, Dave and Audrey Aungst, Chris Nasrallah, Professor Rick Pildes, Frank LoMonte, Mary Beth Tinker, Jilly Dos Santos, Alex Jacobs, James Dale, Jess Bravin, Clayton Pilcher, and Jon Davis Wiley.

A note of appreciation is also extended to the Coconino County, Arizona, law librarian, Gretchen Hornberger, and the staff at the Flagstaff Public Library for their assistance throughout this endeavor.

We were also fortunate to have the wisdom and guidance of editors Cathy Broberg and Alison Behnke. Thank you both for your keen eyes and superb editing skills. Acquisitions editor, Meg Bratsch, supported and nurtured this book since 2011. Thank you, Meg, for the encouragement and creative suggestions. Judy Galbraith and her staff at Free Spirit Publishing supported this project early on. We are grateful to Free Spirit for allowing us to stimulate interest and participation by all skeptics on the subject of voting.

Happinessit lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.

Vincent van Gogh

Foreword

Judge Tom Jacobs is an encourager. He also cares deeply about young people and the quality, direction, and impact of their lives. The degree of his encouragement and caring fill every page of this book, Every Vote Matters: The Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court, by Tom and his daughter Natalie.

Tom and Natalie discuss many instances and circumstances where a single opinionone solitary votedramatically changed an outcome. In turn, that change continues to affect the lives of many every day. Indeed, the impact of one vote is often more powerful and long lasting than most people realize.

You may have heard this tired excuse for not voting: Why should I bother? Its not going to matter anyway. But that simply isnt true. Regardless of the question or the candidate, your opinion matters, because you matter. Besides, no matter your age or circumstance, the skills of civic responsibility grow stronger only when they are used. So vote when theres opportunity. It does make a difference.

What If You Couldnt Vote?

Few of us will ever face a situation where, as much as we would like to register our opinion, voting would be impossible. But if that were the situation, how might it affect you? Thats a good questionone that deserves a bit of thought.

That was precisely the circumstance of a friend of mine who was a Navy pilot. During the Vietnam Conflict his aircraft was shot down over North Vietnam, and he became a prisoner of war (POW) for over seven years in the dreaded Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the Hanoi Hilton.

As a POW, he was unable to vote in the elections back home, but he continued to exercise the character of citizenship. Even with the torture and the deplorable conditions there, he told me, I was acutely aware of what was right and what was wrong, and that I knew the difference. He was finally freed in 1973, and Im pretty sure hes never passed up a ballot box since. He even ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in his home state of Hawaii.

Honoring Those Who Paid the Price

As I reflect on the rights and responsibilities that come with living in the United States, I realize that my first lesson in American citizenship came early: I was born during what historians call the Battle of the Bulge, the biggest and most costly battle involving U.S. forces in WWII Europe. These troops, desperately low on food, ammunition, and cold-weather clothing, were surrounded and subjected to a terrifying, nonstop shelling by the enemys biggest guns. Yet they did not retreat or surrender. They held their ground with courage and fortitude. In doing so, they hastened the end of an ugly war.