From the Pig Pen Voting is the Primary Thing By Gregory Peele

I hope that you great citizens of Wayne County are doing well this month. The days are getting longer and the politicians are growing longer winded as I pen this month’s column for The Buzz. The Presidential debates and the media coverage of these spectacles are nothing short of a three ring circus. I must be out of touch with reality, living in my own little world, as I long for a more civil minded and respective approach from the various candidates. Oh well, I guess it is just a reflection of the times in which we live. The words ordinary, respect, simplicity, honesty, and trustworthy, somehow, from my perspective, must no longer be held in high esteem by a goodly portion of Americans.

With that being said, I am not nearly as concerned with the above-mentioned folly, as I am with the mindset of the electorate of this nation. It doesn’t bother me that we are voting in March rather than the traditional May primary. I have no vested interest in redistricting as it pertains to our congressional races. When and where we vote is not nearly as important as the fact that we indeed cast a ballot. A vote is a vote without regard to where it is cast.

The constitution of the United States of America gives every citizen, every non-felon who is above the age of eighteen and properly registered the right to vote. I did not help make this determination concerning who is eligible to vote, and neither did you. My only concern lies in assuring that the voting rights of all Americans are safeguarded, not just for this generation, but unto generations not yet even born. When we lose sight of this fact, in my opinion, we desecrate our founding fathers and the struggles of countless generations of Americans who fought and died to preserve this freedom.

I believe it to be a good thing that voters be required to properly identify themselves. I, also, believe that voters should be required to register prior to Election Day and vote in the precinct in which they reside. However, I am totally against making it more difficult for first time voters to register, and to remove polling sites from college campuses. I don’t see the need to shorten the early voting period and do away with voting on Sunday. I would like to think that all of these decisions were non-partisan and based upon what is best, and not in an attempt to limit any segment of the electorate from voting. Oh my! I’ve probably said enough because we all know and understand how politics work.

I would never try to tell someone how they need to vote. I would, however, suggest voting is a very serious matter; a determination that privately belongs to each of us. The decisions made over the next several months are crucial to the well-being of the people of this nation. Each of us must study the issues, listen to the candidates, and after prayerful consideration cast our ballot. Democracy, in its purest and simplest form, is based upon the will of the majority. The higher the percentage of citizens that vote, the truer a reflection of the will of the American people is obtained. When the votes are tallied, if we wind up in the minority, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a bad decision was rendered. It just means that the American people have spoken.

Please be safe, cast your ballot, and until we next meet, as always, be of good cheer.