The vital act of voting

June 18, 2020 Updated Thu., June 18, 2020 at 8:22 a.m.

Our nation has let down its guard. Democracy is hard, it requires work and total participation. Voting is participation. Not just casting your ballot, but researching the candidates and making thoughtful decisions. My generation experienced and participated in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Protesters and activists endured physical punishment, multiple fatalities, crippling injuries. We thought we were making a difference, beginning to see change.

Our generation reared our children and made them aware of their responsibilities. As they reared their families, life was good. For this generation, life was made easy. Families sought lifestyles for their children easier than hardships they had endured.

In today’s world, with media exposure to everything, we witness our shortcomings. They smack us in the face. We now have the capability to pay attention to our actions and we must.

We must correct our injustices. Change takes time. It does not happen quickly. It took years for our country to fall to this point. In the 1960 elections, 64% of the registered voters voted; 1964, the percentage had fallen to 62; the year 2000, the percentage was close to 54 and in 2016, between 56 and 58 % of eligible voters voted. Miserably low percentages in a nation with so much richness.

Let the protests ignite your fury. Time to pay attention – VOTE!

Kay Dixon

Spokane

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