Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

I voted in our last primary election and our county had less than 20% (19.03% to be precise) who voted.

If you go out for dinner this evening and see 10 people, that means just 2 of them made all of your decisions in the May 5th Primary vote.

How sad.

How scary!

Current registered voters here total 53, 996 compared to an actual number of roughly 66,000 residents 18 years of age and older, thus eligible to vote.

It means if EVERY registered voter here went to the polls, there’d still become 12,000 that didn’t vote.

The local primary turnout was the lowest we’ve seen for a mid-term election in roughly 44 years.

It’s allowing the minority to call the shots.

What6’s really scary to me with that small of a turnout, how can we say that the majority rules in America?

This nation was born out of disagreement over taxation without representation (see the Boston Tea Party).

The the 19th Amendment to the U-S Constitution was ratified to give women the right to vote.

In the 1960’s, young men were drafted to serve in Vietnam but those under the age of 21couldn’t vote until the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was approved on July 1st, 1971.

I had already been in the U.S. Air Force for almost 2 years before I could vote.

I could get a draft beer before that.

Remember the cry of the 60’s?

“Draft beer not boys”?

I haven’t missed an election since I got the right to vote.

But evidently, a lot of people don’t share the same sentiment.

One of the arguments I hear for not registering to vote is, ” I don’t want to be called for jury duty.”

You might get called even if you’re not registered plus motor vehicle registrations, driver’s licenses and utility records can also be used to build jury pools.

“My vote doesn’t really matter”.

We had one county race that was decided by 7 votes.

There have been a number of races decided by a vote or two in the history of our nation.

“They’re all crooks”.

Guess what Einstein?

If you don’t help choose the candidates then that’s what can happen.

“We need term limits.”

Fact of the matter is, we already have them>

Elections.

I think term limits are in many cases the “easy way out” for the non-voters.

In the early days of our country, we had people who would leave the farm or their family business and seek public office.

They’d serve for a few terms and then return home to resume their public life.

I don’t honestly believe this country was set up have “career politicians”.

But guess what?

We do

About 85% of the U.S. House of Representatives are in their third term or more while 74 of our 100 senators are in their 2nd term or longer.

That reinforces my belief that when folks scream, “Vote the bums out!” they’re actually thinking “the other guy’s rep because mine is okay”.

Are they all performing like they said they would prior to their election?

I’m going to argue that most people don’t know how their elected officials actually vote.

At any level.

This issue gets stickier when you have low voter turnouts plus office-seekers who can get voted in despite not actually representing a whole lot of people.

A highly-motivated “fringe group” can herd enough “rubber stampers” to their cause and guess what happens?

Somebody or some cause you never thought could garner enough votes to win does and you say, “How did that happen?”

I’d reply with , “Did you vote?

The math would prove in the recent election that you probably didn’t.

And, if you didn’t vote, I don’t care to hear your opionion.

Voting is still the best way to express your opinion.

And if you didn’t vote because;

a) You forgot

b) You don’t want to serve on a jury.

c) They’re all bums.

d) You didn’t understand the issues.

e) All the above

It seems the easier we make it to vote, the more people choose not to.

Again, I say it’s sad.

It’s scary.

It’s unAmerican.

My reason is simple,

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem,

Your choice.

The problem.

The solution.

I’ll see you at the NEXT election.