This past Sunday in Sunday School we studied Exodus 34: 1-10. The second part of Exodus 34:7 has been sticking in my mind, “…punishing for their parents sins, their children and grandchildren, as well as the third and fourth generations.” This past week was an election week in Virginia for people who want to lead our nation.

You see this every time you turn on the TV. This is a big deal, but most Virginians did not vote. The voter turnout is high if it is 50 percent. For the election if 70 percent turned out it would have been good. About 20 percent of the people in Virginia who are old enough never get registered to vote.

That would be enough voters to turn any election one way or another. Why is this the case? Exodus 34:7 lays it on the parents.

Most of us try very hard to take good care of our kids. But when it comes to picking who will lead our nation, many of us fall short. At home, we say it does not matter and our kids learn from this.

We don’t take our kids to the polls, so they don’t learn by our example. We make comments that are not well thought out. I had an aunt in Danville who passed away at the age of 92. She only voted for Democratic candidates because that is what her daddy did. Her father taught her to vote but not the who and why part.

I am a Republican and can tell anyone why. The important thing is why do we vote for a person. It is not important if they are male or female, white or black, Democrats or Republicans. What is important is what they say, what they do and what they think.

We need to vote for a person who says, does and thinks the way we believe. We need to teach our kids to look at the people running and see if you agree with what they say.

I have two daughters who live in other states. I have an 11-year-old grandson in Texas who was given the choice of King’s Dominion or going to Washington to see Congress on his next visit, and he wanted to see Congress.

His mother talks with him about why she votes for a person and takes him to the polls. Ask your little ones about the people who are running or who have been elected and see what they have learned. When enough of our kids and grandkids stop caring is when our country will have to pay for our sins.

Mike hankins is a guest columnist from Kenbridge. His email address is mike.hankins0060@gmail.com