Dear editor,
The phrase “silence is consent” to me means that saying nothing means that you agree with something or someone. Well, I can’t agree with the behaviors and policies of a certain candidate for governor, and I am certainly NOT going to vote for him.
He appears to have political aspirations beyond Kansas. While he was still on our payroll here, he went AWOL off to Washington D.C. and also caused mischief in various states with his wild notion of rampant illegal voter fraud everywhere. Little evidence has been found for his “alternate fact.” However, he still accomplished his goal, which was voter suppression, by making registration seem more complicated and confusing, and sowing seeds of doubt and mistrust in our elections. Will my vote even be counted? Will I be rejected when I try to vote, like 35,000 eligible Kansas voters experienced last time?
I am bothered by our elections being bought with unbelievable amounts of money from rich donors, corporations, and shadowy PACs who don’t have to reveal their real identities. This casts suspicions upon the honesty and reliability of our election system, making you feel like giving up and not voting at all.
This distrust chips away at the very fabric of our democracy, and I am just tired of it. I am fed up with the awful TV ads, the endless telephone calls, and the hateful political mailings. I am ready for some civility in Topeka. Washington may be a basket case right now, but Kansas has a chance to show that we can do it better.
October 16 is the last day for a U.S. citizen to register to vote in the upcoming election. Some people think it is not important because it is not a presidential election. Actually, these mid-term elections are as important, or even more so, because our leaders in Topeka and Barton county determine the conditions of our schools, roads, public health and safety, and our taxes right here at home. Your vote is not just a “privilege,” but your right and obligation as a responsible citizen.
So you don’t know who to vote for yet? That’s okay. But you still must be registered by Oct. 16, so when you DO decide, you are qualified. If you are new to Great Bend, moved to a different address, or never voted at all, now is the time to register at the courthouse to vote.
If you have voted in the past, missed an election, or happen to have a minority ethnic name, it would be a good idea to check to make sure your name is still on the registration list to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the polls like 35,000 folks did last time. “Bad politicians are elected by good people who don’t vote!”
Dee Anne Grummon, Great Bend
