Paul Kusuda’s column
Think before you vote
Think before you vote
In Wisconsin, leaves have turned from green to red, orange, yellow, or brown and have fallen. For many of us,
that means a lot of work raking. As if mowing the lawn isn’t enough necessary exercise, leaf-raking is yet another
chore. As the years progress and I get older by the minute, I also lose strength and endurance while gaining
aches, pains, easy-tiredness, and grouchiness. However, I have to admit that beats the alternatives.
Most of the political palavering, promising, and posturing are past us finally. Some political decisions have
been made. Others may not ever be made, depending on various pressures put on legislators, local and national.
Elections are so important to our way of government, and voter turnout is usually very small. Despite the fact that
some election results are not to my liking, I do not agree with those who say that the voting percentage is too low;
that it should be much more than 50 percent — perhaps, even 90 percent or more. That’s the way it is in some
other country’s elections. Yeah, but how is that country governed?
I firmly believe that the United States has a form of government that enables its citizenry to change its
direction, form, or style of governance through peaceful means, that is, through elections; not through use of
force, intimidation, or major uprising. I recognize that we do have interferences to the fundamentals of that
process (assassination, bribery, expensive advertising for or against a particular program), but we endure despite
such obstacles. Our government sometimes errs, but eventually, it seems to find its way and tries to remedy
mistakes.
Amendment XIII (December 6, 1865) notes: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment
for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place
subject to their jurisdiction …” Amendment XV (February 3, 1870): “The right of citizens of the United States to
vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude …” Amendment XIX (August 18, 1920): “The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex …”
The above constitutional amendments corrected wrongs that had existed for too many years in the United
States. Just think, 90 years ago, women were not entitled to vote! Less than 140 years ago, the full right to vote
could be withheld because of “… race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Such injustices should not have
existed. They were corrected after much effort. Demonstrations were held. People carried banners, shouted,
button-holed legislators, and eventually succeeded in making change. It wasn’t easy. Amending the Constitution,
whether federal or state, is an extremely difficult process — but it’s democratic, and requires voting (in addition to
many other activities). Key to all is the vote. And key to the vote is an informed vote. Too often, votes result from
minuscule information gained through slogans, advertisements, and television or radio soundbites. What’s
needed, of course, is thoughtfulness, study of issues, etc. How many of us vote after thinking through issues and
weighing what fallouts might be the result of our vote?