Not to be taken for granted
November 10, 2011 (Thursday)
The election that will decide who is president for the next four years is one year away (November 6, 2012). The campaigning began a while back, and the gloves are coming off now.
One of our problems in this country is apathy among the voters. Oh, I know there are people on all sides of present-day issues who are dedicated in the extreme to their ideals, who have a vision of what they think this country ought to be, and who are willing not only to vote, but to work hard getting others to take their citizenship seriously. There are, however, millions of Americans who never vote. Houston re-elected their mayor this week, with only 12% of eligible voters going to the polls. Efforts to get out the vote nationally are considered very successful if a simple majority of the people take the time to vote.
The people in many countries of the world where there have been no free elections are very thankful when they have the opportunity to vote. Even when threatened, and sometimes humiliated, and harassed, they stand in long lines to exercise their new-found privilege of voting. May their example inspire us to care more deeply about the issues of our day, and vote with conviction for the candidates of our choice.
Those who despise democracy have to win only one election — the last one.