If you don’t vote, don’t complain about government

Regardless of party affiliation, it is easy to take sides and complain about how things are being done in local and national government

Nov. 6 is fast approaching. Voter’s pamphlets and ballots have arrived in the mail. Now it is up to us to VOTE. Voting has been made easy for us. We get ballots mailed at home and the postage is prepaid. Yet voter turnout is not anything to brag about. Last August the overall turnout for ballots in Washington state was approximately 42 percent. Maybe it has been made too easy.

Most of us have some pretty strong opinions about how government should be operating. Regardless of party affiliation, it is easy to take sides and complain about how things are being done in local and national government. I, for one, am vocal about my thoughts and to me, that is part of being involved. But griping is not enough. It is part of civic responsibility to express our preferences, not by sitting around, leaving the ballot on the counter, but to study, vote and mail it out on time.

Democracy depends upon each individual taking responsibility to vote. In fact, it is our privilege. Now I know this all sounds like a basic civics sales pitch. Well, that is true.

I have a plaque in my kitchen that says, “Today’s special…Eat it or STARVE. As a paraphrase, I would propose: Get out and vote or keep your complaints to yourself.

Cindy Ehlke

PCO, Falcon District