Elections have always excited me. Something in the air seems to change into a mix of anticipation and doubt and I can’t help but wonder who people voted for as I see them.
The first election I can remember was in 2000, the infamous Bush – Gore election. I was living in Wisconsin at the time and had been hearing things about it for weeks. Finally, after what seemed like years it was election night. I was only 10, but my dad said I could stay up until the winner was announced.
Whoops. I fell asleep on the couch, disappointed and exhausted.
The excitement continued four years later and John Kerry rose to the plate to beat down George Bush. He failed and I rejoiced — my hateful government teacher had been bashing Bush for months and my friends and I planned to harass her for many weeks to come. A life size George Bush cutout mysteriously appeared in her room Nov. 4.
Now I sit here writing this column on another election day, a day just as important as the past few presidential elections. Voters’ decisions in Virginia and New Jersey will decide the future of America. Do we want the health care bill to pass? Do we want to continue pumping money into the economy? How high do we want taxes?
No matter what you vote is, remember – your make a difference. Voting is the power given to people in a democracy to change the government and should be embraced.
I have my hopes for this election. The feeling of anticipation and doubt is filling me as I cross my fingers and hope my candidates win.
No matter what happens, however, I will be happy with the success of the democratic process. Even as President Barack Obama won last November, I told my liberal friends (who were undoubtedly trying to rub it in my face) that I was disappointed, but optimistic.
I am worried about the people who will not lose graciously. While the election itself is exciting, the aftermath is dreadful, no matter who wins.
I was appalled in 2000 by the “not my president” T-shirts and was equally appalled by the over-conservative college students learning the Canadian national anthem on last year’s election night.
No matter who wins this election, everyone should be happy in the fact that the process worked and that the government will live on. We are lucky to be in a democratic country where our votes count. Within the past few months we have seen the election results in “democracies” cause major problems. The Iranian vote shocked people all over the world as reporters were suspended from the country and social networking sites became the only way to figure out what was going on. More recently, Afghanistan held a vote heavy with accusations of ballot stuffing and intimidation.
If unhappy about this year’s results, we don’t have to take to the streets in an attempt to overthrow the government. Rather, we can do more campaigning for your candidate of choice next time around. Every person makes a difference in our democratic society.
I hope that other people find this process as exciting as I do. Just remember this quote from Chicago Sun-Times reporter Sydney J. Harris, “Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.”
View from the Valley
Voting important, fight for beliefs
Published: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 01:11
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