Commentary: Be an educated voter - our future depends on it

Do you really have a right to vote? Certainly you have the legal right to enter a polling place and cast a ballot, but do you have moral responsibilities that go hand in hand with that ballot? My contention and strong belief is that you should not vote if you have not prepared yourself to cast your ballot intelligently.

Voting responsibly means you must do your homework. Go to political gatherings and meet the candidates. Ask the candidates why they want to represent you. Review prior voting records or political stands they may have taken. Pay close attention to any position they may take on the issues. Ask them where they stand on issues near and dear to you. Tell them where you stand. Go to their website. In short, investigate them.

When I look at a candidate, I try to equate my core values with theirs. I want a candidate that can articulate how they see issues and the potential resolution. It helps if they are interested in how I see those same issues and solutions, and if they are open to debate.

When I boil it down to basics, I want a candidate to faithfully uphold the Constitution and laws. I want him or her to represent the majority, not a special interest minority. It sounds a little corny, but it would be nice to have them do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do. And how about a real effort to give 98 cents of each dollar taken in taxes back to their constituency in quality governance?

This election year may be the most important you have ever experienced. At every level - national, state and local - you have the ability to shape the future. With the economy in the toilet, high unemployment, the national debt at obscene levels, the state budget in shambles, the city barely holding its head above water, schools in crisis, and myriad other problems, you get to make the call on who applies the tourniquet.

I guess the question is: Are you willing to do your homework, ferret out the best candidate and vote responsibly? Remember, in a representative form of government you only get one chance every two years to get it right. This is your chance to have an impact on your government.

Use it wisely.

• Jim Bagwell of Carson City is a Vietnam veteran and graduate of the FBI National Academy who worked 31 years in law enforcement. He and his wife Lori own Charley's Grilled Subs.