Vote Veneration

With all the political flap in the news lately, sometimes you have to pause and take a step back to remember the noble tenets upon which our Republic is based. Those of course, among others, are the ideals of liberty, self determination, and who can forget – the old fashioned run-of-the-mill vote! Today all 'past-accepted' constants in America seem to be perpetually in flux and lacking permanence. The truth is however, when you clear away the chaff, liberty and choice still reign supreme.

I guess why this sunk in, is that I just realized how often we as Americans engage in expressing choice even when our President, Congress people, and local city officials are NOT on the ballot. In my case, much attention was paid this week, by our local lacrosse squads to select Captains. Even the coaches debated carefully on what way was best to present candidate criteria to our 3 teams. The goal of course was to ensure that our athletes were fully engaged and the ultimate vote was fair, respected and valid.

Further this week, I have begun to prepare the ‘Official Ballot’ for Women With Wings, an aviation group in which my wife, daughter and myself are voting members. As a non-profit , we do not employ thousands of people or operate costly facilities the world over. But when it comes to the ballot and the value of each vote in choosing a new governing board; the task is treated with same reverence as that of a multi-national corporation.

Biographical information and photos are gathered for each candidate. The ‘official’ hierarchy of that data is placed on the ballot and chosen by a blind draw. In seeking the fairest vote, each candidate’s photo and ballot bios are cropped to conform and look similar to one another. Additional experience and biographical data is offered as an addendum for the membership’s review. The goal, as with the lacrosse team, is to handle the process seriously and with respectful diligence. There should be no doubt that every vote cast will have EVERY reason to be done so with careful thought and informed consideration.

So when you get more than a little tired of all the bickering and political discontent, take a breath and flash a knowing smile. From choosing who will be the banker on family game night, to the line-up manager of your office softball team; the principles of the mighty ‘vote’ are STILL very alive and well. Ok, now please forgive me, I really need to turn off this 'Pollyanna voter' perpetual motion machine. I'm way past the SPF rating to fend off this sunny glow of optimism, and I'm afraid I'm about to get burned!