By the time you read this it’ll all be over. The evening phone calls, the costly dinners, the loud arguments, the lying, the cheating, the back stabbing, the apologies, the begging for money, the empty promises, some dreams dashed, some fulfilled, and once the die is cast; we can only hope for a positive outcome.I’m not talking about marriage…I personally wouldn’t know anything about that….I’m talking abuot our most recent exercise in the electoral process. I don’t care who you are, it has to affect you in some way. Whether that be annoyance, disgust, or an adrenaline rush. Our right to put our two cents in is unique and empowering, at least it should be. If you think your opinion won’t make a difference, if you think none of this is any of your concern, if you think you don’t have time to learn enough about the issues to vote, you are simply worng. You can do it! I have complete faith in your abilities.
To celebrate my birthday this past June, my daughter and I set out early for a girl’s day out, just the two of us. Our first stop on our way to Omaha was the courthouse in Wahoo to put my name in the ring for one of the two open Morse Bluff Village Board seats. We discussed the political process while we shopped and during lunch but I must admit, she was the one who pressed me to define my stance on the issues. Kids have a way of simplifying what we complicate and they tend to get to the truth so much more quickly, without the drama or emotional tangents.
The idea first came about because I got a little incensed about something and I thought; “Someone should do something about this so it doesn’t happen again.” To be honest, the anger was at myself for not being more involved, not voicing my opinion, not showing up, in essence; not doing my part as a citizen of my town. I got to thinking how our little safe haven of Morse Bluff could vanish in an instant if people just stopped caring or failed to keep our best interests at heart.
Morse Bluff is just a microcosm of our country. You hear so many people arguning about the war, criticizing each others’ opinons, and let’s not forget the countless heads hung low during the unfortunate reality of so many military funerals in our country over the past four years. Our world can change in an instant because of one decision and how will the powers that govern us know what our best interests are if we don’t register, vote and share our opinions with them? Voting is more of a responsibility than a right and if you are apathetic, if you use some lame excuse like; “I’m afraid I’ll do more damage than good because I don’t keep up on the issues”, you are falling short of your responsibilities as a citizen of your country.
Your latest opportunity is past, but you have an extremely important election coming up in two years, you have 730 days, 730 daily newpapers, give or take, to help you prepare and educate youreself. I have another exercise for you to help you with this: sit down with or carry with you a notebook of some sort, or open a new document to be saved on your computer. Begin listing what you believe in; just in general, in regards to your family, your home town, your state, your country. If you are a parent or a relative of a child; write down those things about the world that you hope still exist for them when they are adults, and the actions you think should be taken to preserve those things. This list should be ongoing, constantly edited, and exist for no one but yourself. By putting these things in writing, it will become easier for you to match your true opinions with what you read in the newpapers, magazines, and with what you see on TV surrounding political issues. Try not to get hung up on party lines, no two peole think alike 100% of the time or at least they shouldn’t be encouraged to do so, and no one will know how you vote, it’s completely private, personal and as a result empowering. When you get that ballot in your hand, or on the screen (not as romantic or dramatic as the paper type in my opinion), you step into that booth and you vote….I guarantee you will realize that arenaline rush I mentioned earlier. You know your vote was counted and it is at that moment you will also realzie that your opinion can make a difference!
—North Bend Eagle 8 Nov 2006