Greetings All and Well Wishes for the completion of this election marathon,
It seems that our mighty democracy is once again in the thralls of a political race worthy of little......both candidates talk out of the side of their mouths and we barely expect that they will accomplish the herculian tasks they have both promised........The press is proving itself less and less capable, if not outright unwilling to inform the public in a substantive way. Soundbites dont cut it.....The issues and those affected by the outcomes of those issues are too important to be trivialized.
Despite the rancor, the mud slinging and the endless fearmongering taking place on both sides, I cant seem to figure out why I am not more cynical about this whole race, except that I have decided to take a "chill pill", so to speak, and relax and watch it all unfold. Democracy in action. As we need faith in our religion, we need faith in our governing institutions in order for them to be successful. Not blind faith, but faith supported with action within the confines of the law.
Vote.
Vote for your local and regional elections as well as the national ones......
Sure, the electoral college might make it seem like our vote counts little, or none if you like me, dont live in a swing state. So you didnt see the plethora of ads for and against bush and kerry........if they did away with the electoral college, it would seem that the major focus would shift to the majority population states, and other, less populous states, would be be the ones ignored. Perhaps an improvement, but still lacking in some ways....
Some things I have been thinking about......
Perhaps our govt may never become perfect, but maybe the point is that we have to repeatedly re-create viable forms that match the times and the circumstances in which we live?????
I agree that we need to vote. If we don't, we abandon ourselves and the process of making life better for our children. Maybe your individual vote won't 'count' per se, except in this: you will have a voice. So many people don't have a voice, not even a tiny fraction of a percentage point. It's amazing how valuable that tiny voice is! You don't realize it unless you lose it. Let's not give it away, for pity's sake. Use it, respect it, take it seriously.
Kami, whose parents fled from a voiceless society when she was just a wee child.