Dear Editor,

Hi, I grew up here in Chilton County, a place in Alabama, and played sports at and graduated from Maplesville High School. With election day here, I am excited to see the young generation so amped up and ready for their voice to be heard. My family is extremely political oriented, and when an individual in our family reaches the age of 18, it is priority that we get registered to vote.

I have an 18 year old little brother who is a senior this year at Maplesville. Approximately 2.5 weeks ago, a young man came to the school and signed up young, patriotic, Americans who were eager to cast their ballot this election year. All was good and my brother was registered to vote. My little brother just came in from an attempt to vote, and he was turned away at the polls because this so-called patriot did not get my brother and another young lady in our area registered to vote. Now one missed voter application is excusable, but two or more is just absurd in a community with merely 700 residents.

Today is Nov. 4, and a landmark election is taking place across the nation. Adults young and old are exercising their freedom of speech not only with markings on a ballot, but through apparel such as t-shirts and accessories such as buttons, pens, car emblems, etc. Our military fights daily to allow us to do this.

My brother also attends trade school here in the county at the W.A. Bing Lecroy Tech. Center. He is currently taking auto body. I have been around the county in and out of schools here and there, and everywhere I go I have seen McCain shirts and Obama alike. That’s an individual’s freedom of speech. Correct? Not exactly. Apparently while he was at trade school the person in charge asked him to remove his shirt because individuals around the campus had filed complaints with his shirt and what it said. At the very top of the shirt was a picture of my uncle with his birth date and death date with

the words “FREEDOM ISN’T FREE.” Below that were the words “MCCAIN ‘08’” and “IF THEY TAKE OUR GUNS WHAT’S THE ARMY GONNA USE? ROCKS!” On the shirt’s reverse were the words “NOBAMA” VOTE MCCAIN PALIN ‘08’.”

It really makes sense, but some authority in our school system seem to try to take their authority too far and steal the freedom from individuals exercising freedom of speech.

– Blake Bell, Maplesville