Primary Election

Yesterday was Super Tuesday. Justin was off, so I decided I'd go stand in line all by myself. Only one problem with my little plan. There was no line. There were three voting booths, at least 10 volunteers, and I was the only voter in there. The ONLY voter?!

I keep my blog pretty apolitical, so without endorsing a candidate or party, let me get up on my soap box. People fought and died so we could vote. People are still fighting and dying to protect our freedoms, including that right. And women have had the right to vote for less than 100 years. How can we be so complacent?

I know many would say, "It's just a primary," but honestly...for both parties here there were offices at stake. The republicans chose someone to run against the current President. The democrats had some judgeships to decide. I only looked at the ticket for yesterday (for both parties, as in TN the primaries are open--you may chose to vote in either the republican or democratic primary, regardless your political affiliation). If those democratic judge candidates are uncontested by a republican in November, the primary may have decided who will be sitting on the bench. Even if that is not the case, just as in the republican presidential primary, getting the best person in the November election is important. It can determine the party who will take the office--because one candidate has better overall appeal than another from the same party.

Please exercise your right to vote whenever you have the opportunity. I hope to see you at the polls, even if we are just there to cancel each other out.

Voting

Today, despite the puke fest that has been going on at our house, I went out to do my civic duty fill my responsibility exercise my right to vote.

As I was laying on the couch later I was thinking about why I felt so compelled to do that, even though I had a perfectly reasonable excuse not to go. I think the reason is a jumbled mess many fold.

First, I was given this right, at a great price to many people. No one was currently puking (and no one has since, though I feel really rotten), so how could I let this opportunity pass by because I was too tired?

Next, I was able to give my kids, especially Kate, an important civics lesson. It was important enough to me to take the kids and go vote, even though we hadn't been feeling well.

Then I started thinking about how voting reminded me of prayer. We all can go to God with our requests corporately, but we have the private responsibility for ourselves, as with our individual votes. We are also greatly privileged to have both of these gifts, which we should not take lightly. We need to be in prayer for those who will be sworn in to office soon, and for those who have their ears.

I hope that you have had the opportunity to exercise both of your privileges today. And, if you were behind me in line--the kids didn't touch anything and I washed my hands.