Voting, Why it’s Important to Participate

As the election campaign season heats up to its finalized frenzy and Nov. 6 (voting day) draws closer, I want to encourage all our friends, fans, and readers to vote.

If you follow either the economic news revolving around the “99% vs. the 1%” or the political exploits of our two political parties at war with each other while they spend most of their legislative time and efforts at each others’ throats, you soon realize that issues debated and passed into law, do not have immense impact on our daily lives and activities. It becomes fairly obvious that the average person in this country; you and me, have very little say-so in those policies and/or their enactment.

As individuals, we have very little control over the people who cross our paths or the events which unfold before us daily. The only aspect we do have control over is our response. How will we respond and behave when confronted with the opportunity to choose or decide, what is in our own best interest?

In the late 1960’s as part of the Viet Nam war protests on college campuses and in the streets spreading nationwide among young people across the country, the phrase “Power to the People” became one of the rallying cries of the movement. Although its shouts have ceased to be heard very often in our modern day struggles, the impact of this concept, philosophy and action remain as viable and important today as it was then. But what does “Power to the People” denote today? And can it be put into action again?

By its very nature, “Power to the People” means action. Action in the streets? Perhaps, but action none the less. Even if we are too busy, too lazy, or too indifferent to take action in the streets or opine by voice or pen, each of us can make our voice heard. How? Economically, by choosing who we will do business with. Who, or which companies and corporations we will buy from and spend our hard earned money with. Even the largest corporations in the world are dependent upon a steady flow of their products, goods, service and sales to keep them profitable and in business. If you choose to spend your money with company ‘A’ instead of company ‘B’ you are voting with your dollars. If a company’s products or services are not as represented, promised or in your best interest as a consumer, then you have every right and obligation to show your displeasure by spending you money with their competitor.

Think it won’t make any difference? That they’re so big your few dollars won’t make a difference? That’s what some of the largest corporations in America used to think as well. But if you look at retail histories, many have gone out of business or been gobbled up. Why? There may be a variety of reasons, but at its core is the fact that consumers stopped doing business with them. People took back their power and refused to buy inferior quality goods or services. They stop patronizing businesses where employees failed to respect customers by not treating them as they deserved in exchange for their purchases. Consumers exercised this “Power to the People” philosophy and like the fabled “Tortoise and Hare”, the focused constancy of the turtle finally eroded the speed superiority of the rabbit.

This same analogy holds true in regard to our vaunted political system. It is time for people today as voters to declare “Power to the People” loud and clear within the confines of the voting booth. If you are a registered voter, then exercise your power on Nov 6. VOTE. Vote for those running for office who you believe will do their best to represent the desires and good of the people. The only way to break the strangle-hold lobbyists have on our government is to throw out of office their cronies and those who have been bought off and have sold out. These are members of both political parties and representatives from ‘both sides of the aisle’ who are blatantly guilty of being more concerned with their own self-indulgent interests than those of their constituents. As our elected officials, they work for us. We have the right and the responsibility to keep them or replace them.

This year, VOTE!   Vote with your dollars and vote with your franchise right.

Support businesses who give you quality goods, products, and services. Support incumbents or their opponents who will work for your best interests, not their own nor the lobbyists to whom they are beholden. You CAN take back your power, Do It.

Power to the People.