by JACK LINDEN
It’s that time again – the most important day of decision in the governance of our country, our state and our local governments. But there are too many people who do not take voting as seriously as they should.
The common statement that we “shouldn’t discuss religion and politics” is absolutely ridiculous. Not discussing the two most important topics in our lives? That gives way to an unexamined life. Not a good idea.
As a social studies teacher for many years, I tried to teach that elections are important in this country. I told students to carefully study the issues and find out how candidates stand on them. I told them to look at what issues were important to them and to the country, and then know how each candidate stands on those issues. Generalities do not count; specificity is the ultimate goal of any educated and intelligent voter.
Unfortunately, too many states have ballots that allow the voter to mark one square – straight party voting. This does not lead to good government or good candidates. I hear a lot of people saying they “would vote for a yellow dog rather than vote for a Republican.” That statement was around when the South was still reeling from the Republicans freeing slaves and then having outsiders run their state governments. Now, the two parties have changed their philosophies, but people are still voting in uneducated ways.
Some basic questions need to be asked of candidates. A lot of people say that they want to “take our country back.” My question of them – from whom and from what? If they want to take it back, back to what? The same thing can be asked of people who want “to go back to our principles.” What principles are they speaking about? How are we going to go back?
Then there are candidates who say we all should pay our fair share. Has anyone asked what the fair share should be? Do those people believe in a progressive tax? What are the tax reforms that they see are essential? What do we need, what can we get rid of, and how much have we become dependent on government – these are the questions that should at the very least be discussed.
Those particular questions pertain to the national level, but we have to be aware that, for the average citizen, local governments are most involved in our everyday lives. You should be just as involved in the local issues as you are the national. We need to ask candidates for mayor and city council a lot of questions. What do they want to do to help the community become better, not just in jobs or streets, but in the quality of life? Are they interested in making quality of life better through libraries, the schools, more parks and other things that help the entire community?
In my community, I see one sign that is as close to a political sign as I have seen. The sign simply says, “Vote for the man, not the party.” It gives the man’s name and that is it. What a great educational and thought-provoking sign that is. Do I know anything about him? No, but the sign makes me want to find out about him. Do the signs that say Republican or Democrat tell me anything about what the person on the sign believes? Absolutely not, except that he – or she – has figured out a way to get the most votes from a particular party.
Do I belong to a particular party? Yes, I do. Do I vote a straight ticket? Absolutely not, nor should you. Do as that social studies teacher tried to teach you – vote for the person not the party.
