I talk democracy to these men and women. I tell them that they have the vote, and that theirs is the kingdom and the power and the glory. I say to them “You are supreme: exercise your power.” They say, “That’s right: tell us what to do”; and I tell them. I say “Exercise your vote intelligently by voting for me.” And they do. That’s democracy; and a splendid thing it is too for putting the right men in the right place.
–George Bernard Shaw, The Apple Cart
Shaw’s dialogue above is both the best and worst of a democracy. It extols the power of the voter while at the same time acknowledging that much of the electorate wants to be told what to do. Blindly following any candidate certainly is not a surefire method of putting the right man in the right place. There is ample evidence of that.
My hope is that the voter understands their power and the responsibility that comes with it, which is to fully examine the issues with clear eyes and an open mind before voting for that which is best for the country as a whole.
Country over party or self-interest.
With that in mind, I thought I would show a couple of previously posted paintings concerning our election process from Norman Rockwell who chronicled this country for many, many decades and often seemed to get to the core of things in his work. At the bottom, I included a couple of his most famous paintings to show that our elections are something more than popularity contests. They do indeed have consequences. They do shape our view of and in the world.
Voting is our right, one that has long been battled over. People have bled and died for this right. But more than that, it is an obligation. We must play our part, to raise our singular voice in how our nation moves ahead in a way that is best for all its citizens.
Do not take this right and obligation lightly–VOTE.
Redtree Times 