I was at a meeting of the editors of my school paper on Sunday, arguing about the merits of our editorial for the week. This week, we were encouraging students to vote in the local elections taking place today.
One of our editors asked if it was hypocritical for him to support the editorial if he wasn’t planning on voting. He didn’t want to have to walk the half-mile to the polls.
I was floored. I love to vote!
It might be, in part, that being 19, the thrill of voting hasn’t worn off yet. But I do get a kind of chill casting my ballot. It’s a great feeling.
Even as a kid, I used to beg my parents to bring me with them into the booth. Sadly, I think I did that through middle school.
When I was home for a few days in October, the No. 1 thing on my to-do list was picking up my absentee ballot from the board of elections. The people at the Schenectady County office were so fabulous; they let me vote right then and there.
So I’m always surprised to see how apathetic people are toward voting in local elections.
Local elections really do matter. In many ways, our local officials impact us more each day than our national officials do. They’re the people who decide when our library will be open. They deal with plowing our roads and cleaning up after an ice storm.
Those issues obviously pale in importance to the issues discussed during last year’s presidential election: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the recession.
But for the simple things that touch our lives every day, it’s frequently a local official who makes the call.
It’s just something to think about as you’re deciding whether or not to head to the polls.
Pulling for the Yankees
In other news, its time to get some Yankees love up on the Gazette Web site. Jeff Wilkin just wants to see the Yankees lose, Sara Foss thinks the Phils will win in seven and Ken Schott has always been a huge Phillies fan.
We live in New York! Where did all the home state pride go? Ok, I guess that’s not a legit argument. I always root for the Phillies over the Mets.
So, I will say it, I love the Yankees! Always have, always will. I’m not ashamed.
I’m also not terribly disappointed they lost last night. I want them to finish up the series Wednesday in the Bronx and with Andy Pettitte pitching. I like Pettitte much more than Burnett. He just seems like a good guy, and I want him to get the win. So I’ll have my fingers crossed on Wednesday night for a Yanks win in six.
