I recently received an e-mail, sent through cyberspace to the masses, urging Americans to unite on September 11th by wearing the colors, waving the flag, and turning on our headlights. Due homage, utmost respect, and my personal pride in being an American aside, I fashioned a universal reply to those who only identify America -- or measure our values as Americans -- by lapel pins, flags in the window, and random gestures of unity.

Oh, here we go again --- turn on your headlights, honk your horns, wear red white and blue, say "God Bless America" 50 times while standing on your head. Yup, that'll show Bin Laden and the rest of the terrorists what we Americans are made of. Maybe we can even send them a videotape of our show of allegiance.

I've got a better way for Americans to show their support for the freedoms and liberties we cherish (and talk so much about). How about, on Tuesday, November 5, every American, across this great land of ours, engages in the most ennobling and empowering act of patriotism? No, it doesn't involve waving flags, sporting bumper stickers or buying T- shirts emblazoned with Old Glory. They show their pride, their loyalty and their true colors by exercising that most basic privilege of freedom -- they VOTE! What better and more lasting memorial to those who gave their lives for our liberties than to vote? (And you can even wear red, white and blue while you're doing it.)

Nah. It would never work. We're too busy sending (and reading) e-mails, downloading images of the stars and stripes, and uniting behind the symbols of freedom, to engage in the single-most significant measure necessary to preserve the very liberties we -- even now -- continue to take for granted!

Seth D. Bykofsky

West Hempstead