For Release October 27, 1998

Vote!

AGRI-VIEWS
by Chuck Otte, County Extension Agent

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

Hopefully the previous paragraph sounds somewhat vaguely familiar. It’s the first two sentences of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. It is truly a very powerful piece of literature. Every time I read it it gives me goose bumps. I spent some time recently on the Internet looking at a special exhibit about the Declaration and the rough drafts that Jefferson and his compatriots worked through. But then I’ve always been a real fan of Thomas Jefferson. If you’ve got some time some day, stop by and visit with me and I’ll relate some of my favorite Jeffersonian sayings. They are as pithy, insightful and true today as they were in the late 1700’s!

Let’s go back to that opening paragraph and reread the last ten words. "...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." The consent of the governed. Jefferson is talking about governments and their interaction with the citizens, the public. How do we show our consent?

Well, in years gone by, especially in certain communities in New England there would be town meetings. Everyone would come together and reach a consensus on some decision. Small groups of all kinds often still govern themselves this way. Unfortunately, town meetings don’t work real well with large groups, so we rely on another time honored technique. It’s called voting. We have elections and vote for candidates that we think will forward thoughts, ideas, programs or statutes that will benefit the majority of the citizens. We don’t necessarily elect them to always do the easy thing, the popular thing or what we might want, but what is best for the majority.

There’s only one problem. It seems that over the past twenty years or so the majority of the governed have become a group of talkers not doers. Candidates are being elected and decisions are being made by a very elite and small group. That group is made up of those who care enough to take the time to go and vote. That elite group is often as low as one out of every three or four registered voters. Of course, for every person that doesn’t vote it just gives my vote all the more power. Scary thought, isn’t it!

Maybe we’ve just become too lax. We take for granted our right to vote. How many family members, relatives, friends and strangers have died over the last 250 years so that we could vote, or not vote? Maybe we need to take away a person’s right to vote if they don’t vote. Let’s say that if you miss three straight elections, you don’t get to vote at that next election. Would that get your attention?

Some citizens say it’s their right to vote in an election. I disagree. It is your responsibility to vote at each and every election. There are too many local elections that I have seen come down to less than fifty votes. Fifty votes and over 50% of the eligible voters didn’t participate. I hear a lot of people spending a lot of time complaining about this, that or the other in the way our country, state, county or city is run. But I’ll bet that not every one of those complainers voted!

Tuesday, November 3rd is election day. It should be a red letter day on everyone’s calendar. When I go to the poll at 7:30, on my way to work, there should be a line clear out the door that’ll make me late for work! But I’ll probably have no more than 4 people in line ahead of me. It’s your right to vote, you need to vote, you have to vote! Otherwise it is not the consent of the governed. It is the consent of the few people who cared enough to go and vote. And if you’re really lucky, their viewpoints will be the same as yours. If not, well, it could be a long two or four years. Show your pride, respect your heritage! Vote, on November 3rd!

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