Starting last night on my drive home, I became more at peace with the vitality of our election process than I had been for months. Maybe it was Mixdorf's optimism, or maybe just kind of the sigh of relief following months and months of attention and focus, knowing that (aside from casting the actual ballot) my role in the whole pre-election process was pretty much over.
Maybe this will change if the election does not return the result I am hoping, but I had a certain peace last night, even with the Bush supporters. On all overpasses in my commute home last night (and my commute in this morning) supporters of one camp or another were waving their signs, and just plain waving. Nothing seemed contentious, even when sharing the space with the opposing camp--everyone, for whatever reason, believed strongly in their guy and were resolute enough to stand out in the cold rain and give one last show of support.
The reality is that there are loads of good-hearted people out there voting for Bush. I may think they're uninformed, and in some cases actually not that bright. But the fact is they are voting in good faith (the good-hearted people, that is), having simply interpreted the various messages they've received differently than have I. Americans may have an issue with misinformation or lack of information, but a lot of that has to do with our campaign laws and the forces that drive our media. People still can care. People still can be active, and on this day I do have hope for our country (again, that'll be tested if Bush wins or "wins").
This morning, getting ready for the 4-block drive to my polling place (I drove cause I was going straight on to work and, after all, it WAS raining), a sudden surge of civic-duty feeling motivated me to make sure I was buckled up even for that short little trip. It also encouraged me to adhere totally to the 55 mph limit (maybe just for this one day). I was very proud to be taking part in this most fundamental tradition of our democracy, and wanted to show my respect by following her laws.
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2 comments:
Thanks for your hard work in your canidates camp. I appreciate you taking a political and active role in our democracy. I will not be voting for Bush today, but I will be looking for a third party canidate inwhich to cast my vote. We share many of the same feelings and ideologies, but there a couple of issues, which we have already commented on, that allows me not to cast my vote for yours. I just hope that America picks the right one, and God willing the best choice for America. Have a great day!
55MPH FOR FOUR BLOCKS!
I am greatly encouraged by people willing to stand in line for hours waiting to vote. That shows a determination and respect for the process that is truly amazing.
There are many ways that our system could be improved (electoral college, non-partisan election officials, equal-time publicly funded campaigns, and national standards for election rules and equipment) but the idea of democracy is phenomenal.
And I remain incredibly optimistic.
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