Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Cautionary Tale

When my children were little I used to read them the Maurice Sendak book, Pierre, A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters. If you've never read it or would like to hear it read, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYDfzo4njqQ

People don't seem to care. When people are working and living paycheck to paycheck or don't even have a job, it is very hard to get them involved in the voting process. I have personally heard a wide variety of reasons (excuses) for not voting. Most of them boil down to not caring enough to do it.

When I served as a trustee on my township's board, we rarely had anyone in attendance at our meetings. It was not until the road district supervisor planned to close as road that was no longer in use and trade the land to a strip-mining company that we started to have citizens attend our meetings. 

Very few of us are determined to know the candidates, the issues, the election dates and requirements. Unless and until there is something that hits us in the pocketbook or effects us close to home.

Voter apathy is real and is especially prevalent at midterm elections. Many just figure that their vote isn't that important and they don't need to trouble themselves to get to the polls.

Last Spring in a nearby community, the mayor won the election by TWO votes. The next day TWO absentee ballots came in the mail that were post-marked in time and were for the other candidate. So they ended up tied and the race was decided by a lottery. 

So the next time someone tries to tell you their vote doesn't matter, please tell them how the mayor was elected in Havana, IL in 2014.
http://www.cinewsnow.com/news/local/Havana-mayor-decided-by-lottery-203108351.html

Please care, don't end up like Pierre! Vote for Democrats!


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