Voter Turnout, Apathy and Democracy

My wife and I voted early yesterday in the special election on the proposed override of Proposition 2 and ½.  I read this morning that the increase had been approved by a relatively small margin.

Now, I’m not indicating a “yay or nay” here, but what I did find interesting was that only 46.5% of registered voters felt it was important to come and cast their ballot on an issue that will affect everyone’s pocketbook via a property tax increase.

I find this particularly strange at a time when so many are feeling the pinch of the economic recession.

But this trend of voter apathy has been going on for a while now —not only in our town but in our country.  And it’s something that everyone who lives in this democracy needs to come to grips with. 

People may feel disenfranchised, or perhaps they’ve become cynical about politics and those who practice it. Certainly, all one has to do is watch any TV news program and there’s enough fodder to feed that view—witness Congressman Weiner's transgressions.

I think that each of us needs to deal with whatever the root causes may be that would keep us from participating in a process that our country is based on—a process that men and women throughout our country’s history have sacrificed hearth, health, home and their lives for. A  process that has at its core a spiritual concept of the equality of all humanity.  Each of us has the ability and right to express how we are governed. Clearly not trivial.

Part of my work is involved in representing my church in Massachusetts lawmaking activities. I’ve met with most of our state legislators in the past three-plus years. One thing that I’ve consistently seen is that these are dedicated individuals—committed citizens—who have stepped up to the plate to try to solve problems that our state is wrestling with.  Problems that sometimes are heart-wrenching and appear to be unsolvable. 

Representative Sean Garballey is a good example of a responsive lawmaker. The first time I met him was on a rainy night as he was coming out of a convenience store in Arlington Heights. I was getting out of my car across the street, recognized him, and dashed over.  Sean immediately stopped to talk with me for several minutes about an issue that concerned me. He was completely responsive. And he’s not alone in that kind of service to constituents. That’s the norm.

You or I may not agree with each and every one of our politicians’ positions on any given issue, but at least they are in there trying. And if we, their constituents, aren’t participating in elections or letting them know how we feel, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Let’s not forget that living in this democracy is a sacred privilege that many of our fellow humans can only dream about.