YOUR VOTE AND YOUR VOICE MATTER

OCTOBER 18, 2008

As voting time approaches, many Americans may be tempted to believe that they are insignificant in the political processes, and that their vote won't make any difference. It should be evident today, however, especially when many recent elections have been so closely contested, that that is not the case. Many elections would have gone the other way if even a small number of citizens had taken the trouble to register to vote, and then to cast their ballots, for candidates who suffered defeat by very small margins.

A manual given to election judges in one of our States makes the following observations. In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German. In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union. In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment. In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the U. S. presidency. In 1941, one vote saved selective service -- just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Another common source of discouragement for many would-be voters is the choice of candidates. When American satirist H. L. Mencken was asked why he didn't vote, he said, "Because it only encourages them". It is easy to take a dour view of politicians, and to say that it doesn't matter who gets elected because they are all scoundrels who will do basically the same things once they are in office. Or, one hears the compliant that the quality of all the candidates is so poor that choosing a candidate boils down to "picking your poison". Numerous polls have reported that trust in government has slowly but steadily declined over the years. Many prospective voters have become jaded on the electoral process itself. Many candidates for public office in recent years have resorted to smear campaigns geared to attack their opponents’ character rather than questioning their positions.  Slick political advertisements and public relations gimmicks intended to capture media attention and provide quotable sound bites, have alienated many citizens and left them feeling that politics has degenerated from good statesmanship to good salesmanship. What tennis star Andre Agassi once famously said seems to have come to apply to the world of politics, at least in popular perception: "Image is everything".

In the long run, however, a virtuous, informed citizenry will produce leaders in kind. Our responsibility is to do everything we can to contribute to shaping a society that is just, compassionate, and committed to the common good. It is not enough for us to pursue our individual happiness in a fair and honorable manner. We must be advocates, and indeed, defenders of the fundamental dignity and well-being of all the members of our society. We must work together to promote and ensure a fair distribution of our cultural and material goods. We must be concerned with whether or not our social conditions and policies foster the dignity of persons and the well-being of families. We must pay particular attention to those who are poor or afflicted in any way. In brief, we must uphold the American principles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that, "All men and women, according to the place and role that they occupy, participate in promoting the common good by respecting just laws and taking charge of the areas for which they have personal responsibility, such as the care of their own family and the commitment to their own work. Citizens also should take an active part in public life as far as possible."

In our nation’s history, some leaders have achieved greatness, many seem to have accomplished little, and a small minority has left office in disgrace. Our nation’s backbone, however, has always been the ordinary citizen.  It is the countless, unrecorded, simple daily deeds of common men and women that have made our nation great.

It may seem trite to say, but it is also very true, that it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. As a people during the present electoral season, let us prove our greatness by seeking solidarity with each other, by allowing our moral principles to guide us, by resorting not to rhetoric but to reason in our speech, by listening to the voice and experience of others in a dispassionate way, and by then expressing our concerns, our vision and our will to the candidates for public office.  Let us leave candidates no choice, if they hope to be elected, but to base their political programs on what will truly serve the good of the nation and the wellbeing of all its citizens.

+Bishop Raymundo J. Peña

last updated 11-Jan-2010 8:22 sitemap