Jeff's Journal

Journal Entry: May 30, 2012

Subject: Democracy's great privilege

Warning: Language strong

Yesterday, I called Richard Eads, our County Court Clerk.

I asked him what percentage of Bourbon Countians

   turned out for the election.

He said, "We were ahead of the state at 15%."

Across Kentucky 13%+ turned out for an election

   which only involved a few races and voting

   was along party lines.

Listen carefully THIRTEEN PERCENT – a little over

   one in ten of potential voters voted.

When you divide out party affiliation, it being

   a primary, some candidates only needed

   the votes of 5% of the people — FIVE PERCENT —

   of the voters to move on to the general election.

Here is my strong language:

   — If you were able to vote and did not, you

      acted in an unpatriotic manner. 

   — By not voting, you give hope to the incapable

      and corrupt in running for a future office.

      (They would rightfully think, "No one is paying

      attention.")

   —  You dishonor the memory of the seven soldiers

      from Kentucky whose names we read in church

      Sunday, who died since last Memorial Day. They

      died for your right to vote.

Now that I have offended 85% of you, let me say why

   this is also spiritually important.

You should allow your faith to inform your political

   views. No, I don't mean we should look for Disciples

   to vote for. Baptists don't need to seek out Baptists.

But there are complicated issues to which our faith speaks.

   When you vote, your "demographic" the whole of who you

   are is registered in Paris, Frankfort and Washington.

   Will we continue to speak for discipline, good stewardship,

   military restraint (peace), diplomacy worldwide, freedom

   of other countries to choose their leaders and more?

Jesus lived in a time when people were not allowed to vote.

   It was rule by mob and military force.

   Do you see what happened to him?

If you do not vote, you contribute to the dissolution of democracy.

(It is not so much which candidate you vote for, but that you vote.)

   It will not happen tomorrow or next year, but the real

      possibility exists, that by not showing up at the polls

      and being counted as one paying attention, this grand and

      glorious experiment in democracy will begin to unravel.

Moving to the deeper places,

Jeff