Brent Taylor was the mayor of North Ogden, Utah.  He was also a major in the Army National Guard.  He was killed last week in Afghanistan on his fourth tour of duty there.  He was 39 and left behind a wife and seven children.

Shortly before his death, Major Taylor posted several pictures on Facebook lauding the Afghan people for having the courage to vote in their elections in the face of threats and intimidation.  He closed his post with this:

“As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election next week, I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote. And that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we all remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than divides us. ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’ God Bless America.”

We have more than the right to vote in our country.  We have a sacred duty to do so.  A duty made sacred by the sacrifice of Major Taylor and the thousands before him who, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, gave the “last full measure of devotion” to secure the freedoms we enjoy.  Taking a few minutes to go to polls is the least we can do to honor their sacrifice.

So, I hope that you will discharge your duty to vote today, if you have not already done so.  And I hope regardless of the results tonight we will remember how fortunate we are to live in country where our difference are settled at the ballot box and not at the end of gun barrel.