Today, many citizens will get up and go about their day willy nilly, with no thoughts of their future in front of them. They will follow their normal routine. They will complete all the moments that highlight their life; getting dressed, going to school or work, eating, talking on the phone to friends or family, watching TV or playing on the computer, watching the Olympics and getting in bed and going to sleep! These citizens are predisposed to being a follower in life. They do not want to make a decision for their own lives. They do not want to be the determiner of their futures. They are more comfortable letting others decide how their lives will turn out. They were not born with a leader gene in their spiral DNA body like others in this world.
Today is an election day. Millions of other citizens will again follow their daily routines with one exeption, some will go vote. Why do some choose to vote and others choose to turn a blind eye to holding their future within their own hands? Today each registered voter gets to make his or her voice count by going to their polling place and casting their vote. Their vote represents their belief on whether their specific county should stay the course or change directions. Some of your neighbors will reschedule their common everyday lives to carve out time and vote for their future. They are voters. Do they carry a voter gene in their spiral DNA body? Do they carry a carry a leadership gene? They may be a quite unassuming person or even an outspoken community personality but understand they carry within them a leader personality gene.
Last night while talking with some neighbors, I reminded one young neighbor that is was time to go vote again. "No, I am not going this time!" she announced. Just months ago my neighbors and I took her to vote for the first time. Now, in less than a mere couple of months, she had tired of this problematic voting process.
I tried to encourage her by saying, "Come on, we will pick you up and take you. I can help you if you can't understand the questions and we can go get lunch afterwards
"I don't want to go. I have to work tomorrow," she replied. " I can pick you up early before work!" Again she said no. When we voted this past time, she was excited and proud of herself for voting in her first election, now she was tired and did not want to take the time or energy to stay involved. Last time she went with three lifetime voters with over 143 years of voting experience among themselves.
What makes a person become a lifelong voter? What makes a person choose their own destiny? What makes a person an "opt out" citizen. In this wasted year of governmental hash and rehashing of its dreary words and tiresome politicians, have citizens become so disgusted with our process that they simply say "NO" or is it a personal issue? Is there a gene that drives some to want to make something better in their communities and country?
My husband loves to use the phrase, "Culling of the Herd." If you are missing that leadership/voter gene is it a matter of "culling the herd?" Does the person not have enough good sense to go and vote so, it is actually better that they don't go and vote?
If hair color, personality, and heart health is all about the genes, can the desire to vote also be a genetic factor? It would never occur to me not to vote anymore than it would occur to me to let another person control my life! Do I carry a "VOTING GENE" that my wonderful neighbor does not have within her? Are some of us born to be voters? At what point would a non-voter become a voter? How about if a person from an hour away was able to come and charge you hundreds because they needed to fix their broken car and in exchange they gave you a pair of socks for your traveling needs? Would you get up and vote then?
Someone wants you to pay for Atlanta's failed transit system for the rest of your taxed days. Will you be voting to give a wasteful government an additional penny, every time you spend a dollar, for the rest of your life. Taxes are too high..yes? Do you vote yourself another life time tax hike?
I say, if we need new roads and transit here in Gwinnett then we vote to tax ourselves but we keep that one penny for our roads and highways! We say yes to better roads but no to sending 90 percent of OUR dollars to Atlanta! Do you have the leadership gene or will you be voting at all? You know what MARTA stands for don't you? Money _______ Released To Atlanta. You fill in the blank today by voting.
Cynthia Montgomery
8:35 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Woke up this morning to two tiny babies being delivered for my care until noon. Wrote this while watching them play. Next, on to my real job...under timed contract negotiations all day and lost the contract extension but, got the earnest money! Just looked up to see it is 8:28 and the elections are over, I AM SICK!
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
5:19 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012
Now you can redeem yourself in the runoff ...
Cynthia Montgomery
8:05 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I must get into the voting early mode now that business is so fast paced!!! 12 hours shifts would kick any genetic theory in the pants!
Kristi Reed
8:11 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
I actually enjoy going to vote on election day. My son and I went together and were done within a few minutes. Though I have never voted absentee, my husband has because of work (he travels a lot) and my son has because he is at college. It is very easy to do. Basically, there is no excuse for not voting when they let us vote early, vote by mail or vote on election day. It is shame turnout is not better than it is.
Ed Varn
9:23 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Mrs. Ed and I voted early for the first time late last week. Took less than 5 minutes.
I actually got both my kids to vote for the first time this year! They mainly did it to appease Ol' Dad, so I guess that gene wasn't transmitted during inception.
Kristi Reed
9:26 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Ed - I hope you provided both of them with sound guidance regarding who to vote for, or in certain cases, who to vote against ;)
Ed Varn
9:35 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
Kristi, let's put it this way...they both know they have to go back and vote AGAIN in a few weeks? :-)
Kristi Reed
9:37 am on Thursday, August 2, 2012
LOL! Yes, Alex will be back at school by then. I have already made it clear that he needs to request an absentee ballot...
Cynthia Montgomery
1:09 pm on Friday, August 3, 2012
BIG V, Awesome that you took them with you. I would love to live in a country where introducing your children to the polling places and voting machines is a happy time of celebration with a red, white and blue cake, patriotic balloons, and maybe even a history book on presidents or the political systems greatest stories. Why not a voting party or voting dinner! We must transmit this VOTING GENE to the next generation somehow! I would like to see family election night TV viewing like many families are now gathered around the TV to watch the outcome of the Olympics. I do not think I am able to vote in the run off because I missed the primary :( Correct me if I am wrong PLEASE! And GUESS WHAT that buyer, lender, and agent that kept me on the phones all day and night on election day, have now decided to buy the house again. Gotta LOVE this business! I love when I have both ends of a transaction as I KNOW I will get to the closing table with little or no problems :) Kristi, can you educate us to the specifics of voting ahead of time....where,when, and how? I have never had to consider that way to vote in the past but now I would like to learn about voting at MY LEISURE instead of the governments required day and time. I think I have lost my opportunity to have my voice heard at the run off. Thanks!
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
5:20 pm on Sunday, August 5, 2012
You can vote