ONE MORE TIME – YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO MISS THIS COLUMN
The great fall classic is about to begin. I’m not talking about the world series here, but the election season.
This is about the date that most people forget about – election day. There are seven weeks left until the classic.
Forget the lectures. This is ABOUT YOU. Whatever you do, save this column. Print it. Send it on. Deliver it to schools. With seven weeks to go, it is now time to issue my election alert.
For those of you too busy with other things you are hereby advised that there is no excuse not to vote.
Why bother?
If the following doesn’t get you interested in voting, you should consider yourself uninspiring, lacking in vision, and just plain SAD.
Here it is: my annual lecture on “What is Politics?â€
Politics is money. Politics is war and peace
POLITICS IS IRAQ, IRAN..AFGANISTAN, POLITICS IS IMMIGRATION. POLITICS IS REGISTERING FOR THE DRAFT….
Politics is your kid going to war. It’s the chemicals in your food and water. It’s the guns on the streets of America.
Politics in somebody you never heard of increasing your taxes. Politics is censorship., bad air, good air, leaded gasoline, HYBRID CARS, GAS PRICES Politics is recession, inflation, interest rates. money in the bank, bills in the drawer, privacy invaded, power abused. Politics is the IRS.
Politics is higher transit fares, dirty or clean streets, and price controls.
Politics is the minimum wage, the chance to make a living, POLITICS IS THE BIG DIG, YOUR SCHOOL BOARD, CLEAN OCEAN WATER,POLLUTED RIVERS.
Politics is welfare, workfare, smoking.
Politics pays you off with labels, regulations, solicitations, and
standards.
Politics is your child getting a state scholarship. Your trash collected, not often enough. Politics is stem cell research
Politics is de-regulation of TV. Politics is less coverage of politics because of de-regulation. Politics is saving the eagle, killing the forests, trapping the illegals. Politics is justice and injustice.
Politics is playing with power, arrogance,. and a payback to cronies.
Politics is good government. Politics is bad government, free speech, protecting free speech. Politics is the power of the people.
Politics is quotas, discrimination, retribution and paybacks.
Politics is using prosecutors to persecute sometimes.
Politics is the Berlin Wall, Saddam Hussein, Vietnam, the Civil War, Haiti,Cuba. Politics is taxes, a street sign, and limits.
It affects every aspect of daily lives.
Politics is our way of life.
If you don’t get informed and vote after all of that, it is time for you to consider moving to a new country, where your rights and freedoms are not protected by the vote.
And for those who tell me it is their right not to vote, so be it. The future has just slipped out of your hands.
Comments(4)
You are right on the money, Mr. Kane! I always marvel at how generally apathetic this country is when it comes to elections – particularly in an ‘off-year’. We have people ‘elected’ by 15-20 percent of the registered electors making decisions affecting 100 percent of the population – THEN 80 percent complain about the decisions made that affect THEM! I think that if most people would spend a couple of years living in another country (ANY other country), they might just have a better apreciation for the rights and privileges that we enjoy here in the United States of America! We DO have the opportunity to shape our destiny, and by not getting involed in the electoral process or at least not getting informed about the people and issues that make up our society, then we ostensibly give up the right to complain about it. If things are really as bad here as many people portend it to be – go ahead and live abroad for a few years without the protections and amenitied that we enjoy here. I consider an honor and a blessing that I can go to the polls and make an informed decision, MY decision, about how I want my future to be. Maybe MY decision won’t be the one that prevails, but this is America, and at least I have done my part to be a part of the process!
This it more disappointed that I am stuck waiting three more years to be old enough to vote. However, I think getting the younger demographics to vote could be essential to changing this country. Most complaints on politics today come from that young demographic. They get continually annoyed when the coolest shows they love to watch is excessively censored. They complain of their school’s deplorable conditions. They are the ones who come in to school everyday with t-shirts displaying their critisms of the president. In the back of my mind, I always felt like saying, “WELL DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Don’t like Bush? VOTE FOR SOMEONE ELSE!” I would not vote for any of the moralist politicians who force their values onto the American public. I’m talking about banning abortion, banning stem cell research, levying excessive fines against tv and radio stations for profanity that are not even used in a bad context. A PBS station recently got a fine for a documentary they showed. All the above to me are ridiculous. So to those who do not wish to participate in the democratic process and are able to vote, I’ll gladly trade with you. Larry, thank you for writing this, and I shall pass this along to others.
Barry,
That which you refer to as censorship goes right to the roots of the values upon which this great country was established. What does profanity or pornography do to enhance the entertainment value of any television program? The fact that this medium is available to virtually all Americans (especially our kids) mandates that some measure of control be exercised, because television cannot be trusted to police themselves.
Criticism of the President? For what? Do you really believe that President Bush is the one responsible for the ‘censorship’ of your ‘coolest shows’, or for the deplorable conditions in your schools? Perhaps some of this anger and frustration should be taken to your local school boards which generally operate as separate entities from the government (virtual governments unto themselves).
You have a problem with banning abortion? My friend, where would YOU be today if your mommy had decided that you were just not convenient, or perhaps not ‘perfect’? Abortion is murder – plain and simple.
President Bush is NOT against stem cell research, however, he IS against EMBRYONIC stem cell research to the extent that he, as well as many others, do not support the use of embryos. To support this could and probably WOULD lead to raising and harvesting of embryos (little humans) solely to support this effort. There is NO conclusive research that embryonic stem cells help cure ANYTHING, however, there has been promise shown in the use of adult stem cells.
It is incumbent on the electorate of this country to elect officials that are empowered to make decisions in a responsible matter. When 15-20% of the electorate are making the choices for everybody is just plain wrong.
When you are old enough, I would expect that you would get informed and involved in the political process and make a difference in your sphere of influence.
And, oh by the way, just what is so ‘wrong’ about moralist politicians? I believe that many of the problems that we see today are directly related to the erosion of morals and values in our society. I lived through the 60s and 70s when America was at its worst. I also was blessed to be a part of the Reagan years when America re-discovered her pride and strength, not coincidentally with a return to morals and values. President Bush is of the same mold, and doing what he can to restore a sense of order in our society.
It is wonderful that you jump into this forum, and I trust that you are heard in your community – keep it up! The voices that are heard are the voices that cause change. God Bless You!
Mr. McDermott, thank you for your kind words. While I have my opinions, I always find it interesting to hear about the other perspectives that I don’t share or don’t know about. And Larry, I’ve passed what you’ve said along to others, it has really made some people think.