Election Day, 2012

Half of Tallahassee had voted early, by this morning, and my thought was that I would give the working people a chance to stand in the line and I would vote later, around 10:00 or after coffee. It worked well for me. The poll worker said that the longest wait had been 59 minutes. I was in the precinct for less than ten minutes.

I love my polling spot which is at a Methodist church, in the woods, near my own house. Voting there gives me a surge of patriotism because I feel as if I am standing in the very midst of the America that I love so much, that I am terribly anxious to protect, and for which I think (as everyone else) I have the answers.

I have not turned on the TV nor listened to the pundits - the talking heads. We will know election results soon enough. I didn't care for any of the local candidates - they lost my esteem through negative advertising. Thank goodness, because of my location in the county, I was spared many of those really tough decisions. 

Because of the political climate in the whole nation, I don't believe that it matters who wins this election. Either nothing or the wrong things are going to get done. Congress is awash. Parties are polarized. Voters are uninformed except for what they want to believe.  

I usually say that if I don't vote I have no room to complain but, today, I'm going to enlarge on that opinion. If I don't stand up and do something, here and now, I am just as bad as the next person who votes a party line and sits back and says, "I did my part." 

No matter who wins this election, I am returning to politics; not in the same ways as when I was younger - canvassing neighborhoods, attending fundraisers or working in campaign offices - but in a brand new role.   

I pledge to follow the legislative process closely in the future, to know who is voting what, to write letters and send emails to my own representatives (and to others) regarding lack of cooperation and failure to put the good of the people first.

Yes, in my own small way, I plan to become a watchdog over the whole group - whether I voted for them or not - not to push my personal agenda but to insure that these elected officials are doing their best for the nation through compromise and common sense. 

I promise to advocate either for or against the policies and voting record of my elected mouthpieces. The next time I see a negative political campaign ad, I will know whether or not it is true.

Wouldn't it be remarkable if every one of us would make this pledge? The people need to come together and say to Congress, "We are mad and we won't take it any more." We will see what tonight brings. God bless America.