mock the vote?

Early this morning I made my way to the location allocated to receive my vote. I considered it a landmark occasion, not because there are so many important people and issues up for consideration, but because I'm afforded the right, the responsibility of the vote.


I grumbled under my breath at what I considered to be poor marking to find the voting area, thinking how it might have been made better. I then discovered that I was listed as a mail-in ballot person, which would have been fine except that I never received any ballot by mail.  There was a provision for that, but it was quickly obvious that the workers were unfamiliar with the process. Heck, it was early and they were volunteers, and I grumbled a little more.


I cast my ballot (computerized now- cool), turned in some paperwork (part of that special provision), pasted my sticker proudly on my chest and beat a hasty retreat to the rest of my day. Pretty simple, pretty straightforward, pretty easy. But then I thought of people in countries like the Philippines who are willing to risk their lives for the vote. During our years there, school teachers were usually required to stand guard over local ballot boxes.  Often, because of violence and corruption, those teachers gave their lives to protect the votes.  In some countries, goons wait outside voting areas, seeking to intimidate, injure or even kill those who come to vote. And in far too many countries voting is not even an option. Hmmm, why had I been grumbling again?


I'm concerned that we too easily assume that our vote means nothing, or that the hassle somehow isn't worth our time or effort. I can't believe that those who risk or give their lives for this privilege would find our excuses compelling. I hope you made time to exercise your responsibility. And if you didn't (for whatever reason) that you'll commit now to do it next time. Really. If not for your voice to be heard, then because you'll remember that someone somewhere in this world wishes he had it as good as you when he steps into that voting booth. Or that she's willing to take a chance with her life because the ability to vote is as precious as life itself.

And she probably doesn't even grumble.