Do You Have the Voter Gene Within You?

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.