Our democracy is not a ‘spectator sport’
Consider what kind of state and nation you want to live in.
Do you want to live in a state and nation where elected officials serve themselves and their political party or where they serve others, including especially their constituents? Consider, for example, how human beings treat themselves and other human beings.
Do you want to live in a state and nation where candidates pick their voters or where voters pick their candidates? Consider, for example, how money, and particularly dark money, is involved in campaign advertising and other promotions to attract voters.
Do you want to live in a state and nation where elected officials and others determine what your issues are to be or where they listen and respond to what is most important to you? Consider how the issues most important to you relate to other issues that affect you and others. If possible, try to avoid voting based on a single issue.
In the election on Nov. 3, you will have a tremendous opportunity to express your answers to these and related questions and considerations.
Unfortunately, all too often the number of non-voters exceeds the number of voters for the winning candidate and sometimes even the number of voters for all candidates combined.
Everyone’s vote and voice matter. Make yours matter.
Be sure to vote for people who represent you instead of their owner-donors.
Look carefully at the behaviors and underlying values of candidates, not just at their words. Look for candidates’ honesty and integrity versus any lying and misrepresentation.
Look at how candidates and their supporters portray their opponents — in other words, how they treat other people.
Vote on or before Nov. 3, keeping in mind that democracy, and even a representative democracy such as ours, is decidedly not a “spectator sport.”
Michael Lindsay
Eau Claire
