It takes a village to raise a child. And to have a village, you need to organize and vote.

Today is Tuesday, and the spring elections make this weekday, for a fleeting moment, significant. Today you have the opportunity to vote and make your voice heard.

As a voter, you build upon your personal credibility by becoming a participant in the system rather than a victim or spectator. Only people like you – people who vote – will have a role in the issues that affect you.

Lack of involvement under the guise of ignorance is not an acceptable response. Allowing the issues to be dictated to you by the government is counter to our government’s goal. The issues that matter are the ones you face each day. After establishing what your issue is, briefly look over the people involved, find a common thread and vote. You are not expected to be a political strategist. You are supposed to be you.

It is true the system can be daunting. The issues can be complex. The system is so menacing to some that they hide behind the flawed logic of claiming their vote doesn’t count. Don’t be a dimwit! Your vote is the only thing that counts, and friends do not let friends not vote.

Many of you who vote today will never see your desires acted on — and that might be for the best. Some people use their vote as a weapon to protect their interests from a perceived threat. Keep in mind that around every corner, there lurks a whacked-out nut-job spewing nonsense. As wrong as those people may be, if they all vote but you don’t, you let them win.

If the persistence of certain extreme fringes ever pays off, moderates and non-voters alike suffer. More people need to quell the growing voice of divisive politics championed by way-out and wrong ideologies. By voting today, we lend weight to our opinion. Our time investment shows confidence in our ideals and places us on even moral footing with our opposition. Voters will always have the advantage over people who choose not to.

Increasingly, it seems that Americans have forgotten the importance of local politics. Often lacking in the sexual escapades of interns or in bathroom stalls, local politics is virtually eclipsed by the mainstream media.

While at the polls today, DeKalb voters have the option of voting for a school referendum. The plan calls for a three-phase plan to expand and improve the school district so that it can meet the demands facing it.

“The school is bursting with kids,” says Lisa Wilcox, owner of Web Girl Web Design and technical marketing co-chair for Vote Yes 428. “And it’s only going to get worse.”

Recalling her childhood in Virginia, Wilcox says when it came to education, they “pulled out all the stops. Everyone just knew that with education came good things for the community. It’s a legacy we leave our children.”

The referendum is not a cheap undertaking. If approved, the tax increase will amount to roughly $270 a year, or $23 a month for the average homeowner. For the cost of four coffees per month, DeKalb residents can invest in a high-quality educational environment for their future residents.