It is sad to read that only about 10 percent of eligible voters in Plymouth cast a ballot in our recent election. Unfortunately, that is not far from the norm in elections. There are lots of excuses for those who do not vote. Most of us lead very busy lives, multiple jobs, kids and their activities to supervise, taking care of the home, etc. What we don’t always stop to appreciate is that we have a democracy, as imperfect as it is, where our opinions and choice of policies and leadership can and need to be expressed.
Democracy is a participatory form of government. Without participation, it doesn’t work. That is our responsibility as citizens. When people don’t take their responsibility seriously to express their opinions in the voting booth, we can end up with the minority governing the majority as happened in the 2000 and 2016 elections, and I don’t need to identify the damage to our country resulting from those elections. In November we face the most critical election decision of my lifetime of 80 years. If you truly love your country, as opposed to party, take the time to understand to consequences of this election and vote.
Tom Stadelmann