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I don’t think I’ve missed a primary or general election vote since I was first eligible in 1964. Why have I voted for 44 years? The reasons have built on each other. I first saw it as my “duty” as an American, also as a citizen of my hometown. Those are still good reasons.

Now it is more than a duty. It is both a privilege and a responsibility I take seriously. As Spiderman’s Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” He’s right. But in recent decades, voting is also more to me than privilege and responsibility.

It has become a moral act of conscience and patience. Everywhere we turn, there are opportunities to live out this truth-piece: “The best criticism of the bad is to practice the better.” I’ve tried to live my life this way, even before I found these words. I vote to “practice the better”.

Are you 18 or older? You can vote. I strongly encourage you to vote to practice what you consider a step toward supporting a better life -- not just for yourself, but for our community, our state, our nation, our world.

Please vote. It’s a duty for sure. But it is also a great privilege, responsibility, and an important way to declare “I am a citizen whose conscience is engaged for the long haul.” One vote may not seem like much. But it’s your vote, and you count for a great deal.

PAUL GRAVES Sandpoint