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In
addition to your usual New Years resolutions to lose weight and
exercise more, might I suggest another one that we all need to remember
in the coming months.
Vote.
Yes, this is the year we have elections, starting for some folks
in just a few days. All of us will get our chances before the end
of the year and we need to make certain our voices are heard. I
know we all get tired of hearing the candidates rant and rave about
this issue or that but let’s face it, if you and I don’t take the
time to look at the various issues and beliefs of the people trying
to represent us, then what do we expect is going to happen after
the elections are over?
We need to make certain we aren’t choosing someone based strictly
upon their gender, their race, their looks or their hair. It disturbs
me when I hear about people voting for someone because they are
‘good looking’. What in God’s name does that have to do with it?
I’d rather have an ugly smart person living in the White House than
I would one of the so called ‘beautiful people’ who is dumber than
a brick.
The statistics aren’t clear on how many people on our planet are
denied the privilege of voting for their members of government.
But you can bet it is a huge number. Think about what you read in
the news about voter fraud, corruption, intimidation in various
countries and you can begin to appreciate just how precious our
voting rights are.
Yet, what is our current percentage of actual citizens going out
to vote? It’s pathetic. In Iowa for this weeks coming primary, they
are estimating that less than 10% of the qualified citizens will
take the time and effort to go out to vote.
I’m here to tell you that that is a disgrace. I don’t care if you
are a Democrat, Republican or what you have a duty and an obligation
to get out and exercise your constitutional right to elect your
representatives.
Now, don’t
get me wrong, I am not saying this is easy, because it isn’t. You
and I have to get up from our recliners, turn off the boob tube
and read and study what we can about the various candidates that
we get to choose from. I don’t necessarily subscribe to the belief
that what a man or woman said in some speech twenty five years ago
is relevant in today’s world. We all change and are capable of changing
our minds on different subjects as we mature or obtain more information.
I know I have and am pretty sure you have made some off the cuff
remark on some subject you knew little about many years ago and
then discovered you were wrong. No one should be crucified for something
they misspoke years and years ago.
It happens to the best of us. We are only human.
No, I am more inclined to listen to what they are saying yesterday
and today. I am looking for consistency in their views and if they
are pandering to whatever audience they happen to be appearing in
front of during the months leading up to the election. It takes
time and effort to listen and concentrate on what the candidates
are actually saying in their speeches. Are they addressing the issues
that are confronting our nation or are they just speaking words
that float over everyone’s heads?
The election of our officials is serious business. We need to tear
ourselves away from our creature comforts to study and evaluate
who is the best suited for whatever office is going to be vacant.
We need to discuss these candidates with our friends, our family
and those whose political views aren’t always in line with our own.
We need to listen to all sides and make rational decisions based
upon what we hear and what we can prove is the truth.
The internet
is a wonderful tool, but you cannot rely upon everything you get
in an e-mail or that is sent to you from unknown sources. For everything
good about someone you can find an equal amount of bad. It takes
time and dedication to search for the truth and verify the sources
that provided the information.
We live in a wonderful age with an inordinate amount of tools available
to us that were only dreamed about twenty five years ago. I intend
to use these tools wisely to help educate myself and learn about
the issues and intentions of every candidate that I am being asked
to vote for this year.
Remember what I have often said, “people who don’t vote deserve
the people who get elected”.
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