WE ARE FAILING THE ELECTION TEST – IT’S TIME TO COMMIT

WE ARE FAILING THE ELECTION TEST – IT’S TIME TO COMMIT

Most of us have sat in a classroom and taken a test. I for one served as a school teacher for 17 years. In that time I’ve explained to hundreds of students that in order to pass the test you’d need to get at least 70 percent. The reason I bring this up is that less than 50 percent of voters are participating in midterm Elections. Yes, we are failing the test!

The test of democracy requires participation. Participation and engagement from each one of us. The fate of trillions of dollars federally and billions at the state and local levels deserve the simple respect of you tapping in to create accountability for those in position to allocate those resources. The cop-out of “They’re going to do what they want anyway” only rings true if 100 percent of us weigh in and elected officials choose to act out of accordance with the will of the people. The catch here is that there is no world where elected officials would not be fearful of the overwhelming wave of voters choosing to hold their feet to the fire. The power sits with us!

Every election we have is an opportunity. We have a chance and a choice. We have a chance to educate ourselves, our friends, and our neighbors on the collective needs of our community. We also have a choice to elect representatives that center on the needs and concerns of our community. However, if less than 50 percent of us choose to weigh in, we fail our communities. We fail the future generations that come after us. We fail to paint a vision for the future that we want and need. We all deserve better, but we must recommit ourselves to doing better. This election mattered, but so does the next one. Today is the day that you make up your mind to pass the next test.