Voting, Catch the Fever!

I am a big fan of representational government. I’m very proud to live in a Republic and I was very happy to flex my power as a citizen in this 2012 Presidential Election. I hope each of you did as well, or if you are barred from voting due to your criminal record or citizenship status at least encouraged others you know to participate in this peaceful election process.

I try not to let my own political leanings temper what I write in these pieces. I wouldn't want anyone thrusting their belief system on me so I try not to throw it on you. I just hope that each of you voted with your head. That is to say I hope that you evaluated the values and standards of the person running for office and weighed them against your beliefs. It is an honor to be elected as a representative of the people in this country and I hope we've honored the right kind of people.

I am a believer in social reform and I agree with the current administration’s position on the importance of education being the basis for future life success. An educated, informed populace is the basis for a successful city, state and nation. When people don’t have the ability or access to education the whole system suffers. Thomas Jefferson recognized this very early in our nation and heartily encouraged the creation of public schools. An informed citizenry is often open to big ideas.

With a better educated population the country can emphasize the need for repairs to the crumbling infrastructure of America. Roads, bridges, tunnels, trains, electrical grids, water usage are all areas that need serious attention. An America well aware of these problems can open the doors to job creation to start making repairs and rebuilding the crumbling infrastructure.  

I like to point to Mike Judge’s ground breaking, yet under-watched film, Idiocracy. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/ That is the nightmare scenario for me and I certainly hope the Country and the world never turn into something like that.

If I ever have the opportunity to run for political office, which I've always considered, I’d only want to encourage programs that would benefit the people in the long term. When you take care of those that are the most hard off you can see it start to shore up the rest of the societal structure. Opportunity is created through grand ideas and those willing to work for it. I’m not a fan of handouts, but I am all for creating the possibilities of opportunity.

Part of being an American is our freedom of choice, (or at least as George Carlin said, the illusion of free choice). We have the choice to seek opportunity and do what we think is best for ourselves, our families and our neighborhoods. When we have access to the tools to make better choices, we all win. So, I hope that as voters, Americans can see that someone interested in the availability of educated choices is someone thinking about a grand future for this Country. And I hope you voted for him. And maybe for me someday.