Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Happy Birthday, Mom

Today marks my mother's 89th birthday!  It's a hard birthday because it's her first without my father.  When I wished her a great day, she had a hard time acknowledging the beginning of her 89th year.  My heart broke for her.

Mom loves politics.  She listens to the radio or watches the news channels for the latest turns in this election year.  She's undecided whether she going to vote this time which is totally unlike her.  I think I know why she feels this way - she feeding into political tactics.

Lately there's been alot on the radio about voter registration...about negating votes...about treating fellow citizens as aliens, rather than citizens.  A local political situation arose as a candidate charged the incumbent with voter fraud (but didn't make the charge until the challenger decided to run for office).  A man in Ohio plans to negate over 730,000 votes.  A mid-western attorney general making up his own laws to turn voters away.

Is this really the way to win an election?  Can this party be so insecure that the only way they feel they have a shot is to minimize voting.  In my humble opinion, it's a cheap way to win.  It's the sign of a very weak platform.  I'd rather win because my vision demonstrates my strength, not on a technicality.  I'd rather win because I've convinced the American people, all the American people, that I'll work for a better way, not because everyone going to the polls will be treated like an illegal alien. 
  
Such recent action by the party-in-question excludes entire segments of our society.  What about the elderly in nursing homes?  What about those who don't drive?  The message I'm hearing in all this reads like "If we eliminate people's right to vote, we'll win."  That's a really sideways message.  It's not a solid way to win.  It's scary. 

So, in November I'll take my mother to the polls to cast her ballot.  No one from either party has the right to take away her vote.  She's voted in every election during her 89 years and no one, no way, no how has the right to rob her of her right to vote.  She's earned the right, she's entitled to it, and has (and is) a good citizen.

Happy Birthday, Mom, I've got your back.  

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