Government is a noun. It is not your parent. It is not your master. It is not your teacher, your neighbor or your friend. It has no heart. It has no soul. It has no brain, no legs, no hands. It does not owe you happiness. It does not owe you health. It does not owe you food, shelter, or money. In a "free" society, citizens vote, make laws, and abide by them. Those who don't abide by the laws suffer prescribed penalties. Citizens are people. They can be parents, teachers, neighbors and friends. They have brains, hearts, hands and feet. They can also be up to no good. Citizens vote to elect other citizens who represent the collective citizenry in the noun we refer to as government. So. It's not that hard to figure out why voting is SO important. Just do it. Every time.