Okay, soapbox time for one moment. My father used to send people home from work if he found out that they weren't registered to vote, and you can imagine that on election day he would make the rounds to see if everyone had voted.

As I told my students this week - people are fighting and dying around the world for the right to vote. And we in this country take it for granted to the extent that so many people are apathetic to the process. Our voter turnout rate is not near pathetic. I'd venture to say that it's far below pathetic. The thing I most looked forward to in turning eighteen was being able to vote in my first election. My parents had always taken me to go vote with them as a child and I was very eager to have my own vote finally.

I have this friend, who every year without fail would call me and ask me if you need to be registered to vote. Or she would call a week or a few days before the election and ask if it was too late to get registered. I would sigh, and scold her nicely - mainly because we would have this conversation every single year - and tell her that yes, she needs to be registered and yes it was too late for this election but please! go register! so we won't have this conversation next year. But we always would. I don't understand that.

But I am pleased to say that there is hope for everyone, and my friend is finally, finally going to vote in her very first election today. Hooray!

In my private life, I'd say I'm a pretty politically aware person. I read the news, follow the issues and learn about the candidates. Heck, I even worked in politics for a while. I have my views and my party affiliation, but I'm not out to get converts to my side.

However, I do want to see everyone get involved. Isn't that the point of democracy in the first place? Ideally, right - "for the people, by the people?"

I would love to have my father's power in getting people to vote. So, today I'll say to anyone who is listening - I don't care who you vote for, go vote!