How many of you will be glad to see the election season come to an end? I will. I'm
sick of the deluge of phone calls and junk mail and spam, of the obscene
quantities of money spent, of anger and snark masquerading as debate, of cheesy smiles and perfectly coiffed heads.
It beats the alternative.
While the United States
has been spoiled by over two hundred years of democracy, in the grand scope of
human history, democracy is still new and revolutionary. Historically,
monarchies are the norm. The lives of ordinary people were dictated by one
individual who received that position by accident of birth - or by murder and
intrigue. Even now, dictators and extremists rule by fear and terror, and
ordinary people keep their mouths shut - or else.
During the World War II
era, the world was threatened by cruel dictatorships - so threatened that the
Communist USSR made a worthy ally of the democracies. We forget how close we
came to losing our freedom.
In the United States we have the freedom of
speech, topped by the amazing freedom to vote. Next week you and I can enter a
booth and tell our elected officials exactly how we feel without fear of a
midnight knock on the door. Don't take that privilege lightly. Do your research
and make informed choices, not based solely on party. And don't take that
privilege for granted - make the time and cast your vote.
See
you in the voting booth! Labels: freedom of speech, voting, World War II
