“Decisions are made by those who show up.” Maybe Ben Franklin said it, or Woody Allen, but I will attribute it to a favorite TV show of mine, “The West Wing”.
In one episode the president of the United States is speaking to a group of college students and telling them, in no uncertain terms, that your vote matters, that your college loans, or getting a good job after graduation, or starting a family are all impacted on you showing up at the voting booth and doing your duty as a citizen.
Doing your duty as a citizen. I didn’t know how important that was when I was at the voting age. In fact, I never voted at all until I was in my late-20s. I didn’t think my vote mattered, that one vote couldn’t sway an election and that my voice wouldn’t be heard at all.
Of course, I was unbelievably naïve, back then.
I started believing back in 2004. Dino Rossi vs. Chris Gregoire. Every vote mattered in that state gubernatorial election, just as they would in a Kent City Council election, or in a vote for the president of the USA, both of which are just around the bend.
The race for the White House has come from humble beginnings, debates nobody watched on television, except for the smart people, to 24-hour news coverage on Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits and Benghazi to the latest bile to come out of Donald Trump’s mouth. And if it does come down to these two, I may just write in my vote for someone else.
We need smart people to lead our country, to bring together two parties that couldn’t agree on a lunch order, much less immigration reform. As voters we need to do our due diligence, to make an informed decision on our local, state and national leaders. And then show up and vote for the best person for the job, not just the person some political party tells us to.
And like most Americans, I hate to be told what to think. It’s been my nature to make up my own mind, mistakes be damned, and vote for the best person, man or woman, black, white or whatever color you might be, to be our leader and best represent us.
Decisions are made by those who show up. By mail, or in person, I’m showing up.
The people, who say they want to represent you in government, and then end up ripping you off, are counting on one thing.
That you won’t show up.
Todd Nuttman regularly contributes to the Kent Reporter.
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