Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The Right to Vote



It’s a privilege we say
although many forget to do it
some say it’s too much trouble
and it doesn’t matter anyway
but since I was eighteen I took the responsibility
to register in each state I lived so when the elections
came around my vote was included in the final count.
Sometimes Republican sometimes Democrat
depending on the issues and the choices offered
every so often l would vote for my husband, Bill
because he was a better choice than the candidates listed.

I think there was only one year that I forgot
don’t remember the occasion but I do remember
forgetting to vote in a local election
what I noticed when the results were posted
the same people who won every year
won again, it seemed the city council and mayor
just traded places and any
one new was hard pressed

to get included on the ballot and if they crossed
the ones in power they never ran again
and sometimes had to move out of town.
I never considered running for public office
how difficult could it be?


I’ve seen the smallest amount of power
and notoriety change people
when they go from unknown to an elected official
from housewife to president of the school board
or local business owner to one with political
clout sometimes groomed by foreign entities
starting with small elections and building  
influence and garnering authority. 



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