"Voting Is a Privilege"
By Capt. Fred Davis
Published: Friday, November 2, 2018

In just a few days, many of us will regain the use of our phones.

Just think — when the phone rings, we will actually want to answer it. We will still get robo calls because they are relentless and unpreventable, but the political calls will cease. As I attempt to write this column, the phone keeps ringing. It’s now a dead heat between robo’s and politicals. Before I say anything further, I want to urge you to vote. It is a privilege and obligation. We can’t complain about how things are being done if we don’t participate in the process. I’m happy to announce I used many of the calls that came in on both of my phones to question the callers. I also took the brief surveys to help me in making a clear directive about whom I should vote for.

The over-the-top blitz of TV ads proved to be helpful as I determined who deserved my support. The large amount of negative ads, and those directed at tearing down an opponent instead of delivering a message of intent, also aided me. Candidates that focused on attacking their opponents caused me to question how they would represent me. There is an adaption of a very old adage that should apply, even to elections. “If you can’t say something favorable of someone, don’t say anything.”

It is my belief during this mid-term campaign all those candidates eager to disparage their opponents would not serve well as my representative.

There is tremendous national attention directed at this election. It is the first time the electorate gets to weigh in with their opinion of how the government is functioning since the general election of 2016. The results will give all those eager to predict how the 2020 election may turn out leverage to begin that campaign. Voters are being bombarded by the weight of rhetoric delivered to social media, TV, radio and newspapers.

Promises are being made to cut taxes, lower automobile insurance premiums, repair our roads and address additional infrastructure issues.

We need to look beyond all the hype and examine incumbents' voting records and investigate whom is supporting the newcomers. Without spending time to delve into candidate’s history, voting just becomes a game of darts and the outcome may not be what we want.

As I see it, if the promises being made are put into action by those who gain the offices they are running for, there will be real benefits to help our state move forward. If we don’t participate by voting, we are not only part of the problem — we are the problem. An ignorant electorate gets whatever the politicians want to deliver.

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