First a review:
About 155,000,000 United States citizens voted in the 2024 Presidential election. About 64% of eligibles! Millions & millions is an amazing number of our US citizen-neighbors: each somehow made the independent decision to vote for a person they never met for lunch, perhaps saw mostly on TV, heard some promises made by practiced politicians that resonated well with their needs in their silo. BUT WE DID IT, A DECISION TO VOTE.
My essay today is about three pieces of that VOTE:
982 of your Island neighbors voted for Mr. Trump, 6,900 voted for Ms. Harris. Each of us today make decisions, whether how to talk to our child, what bills to/not pay, how to forgive the frailties of our spouse. Elections are quite similar in level of difficulty. Starts with the expected outcomes of each decision: Why 8,000 Islanders said Yes to VOTE last year.
In the US, about 36% of eligible voters, 89,000,000 citizens, made their decision not to vote. Their reasons were many: Federal rule-makers do not support them; all politicians lie, cheat, and/or steal; billionaires rule the process; a high school education no longer enables a good paycheck in a WTO world; people of color including the color white receive “special” assistance. Some of these resentments may make sense.
Every decision we made as voters we live with for many years and can explain that decision to ourselves and our neighbors, whether in Alabama or Washington. It has been 15 months since your decision: seems close to what you expected to happen, voted or not?
Recall some history, we have been in this struggle for 900 years. Of course you remember the Magna Carta (Great Charter) signed on June 15, 1215, by King John of England under pressure from rebels who opposed his heavy taxation and arbitrary rule. It aimed to resolve conflicts by limiting the King’s authority and protecting certain rights, eventually becoming English law:
The Magna Carta contained 63 clauses. Some provisions might sound familiar:
Protection of rights of religious choice and independence from royal interference.
Safeguards against illegal imprisonment and arbitrary taxation.
Access to swift and impartial justice, establishing the principle that all people including Kings must follow the law of the land.
A Governing Council to monitor the King’s adherence to the charter.
Regulation of King’s royal officials and his personal armies.
WOW, 900 years ago, looks like a good start. But it did take another 560 years when new rebels wrote a Declaration of Independence from King John’s successors. Add another 250 years and here we are today, struggling with similar issues, pressures, and confusions of choices.
One idea I’ll offer: create a conversation on Vashon/Maury with your 12,000 neighbors. Invite whoever acknowledges a vote or no vote, is willing to talk constructively on their answers to A, B, C above.
Get Going: advertise here in the LOOP, ask at your Church and Council meetings, create an event at Senior Center. The opportunity for more change either way comes in eight short months.
As we know, small-town living means we expect to live with each other in peace and tranquility tomorrow and many, many days after tomorrow. As beekeepers know, good practice is to get more honey without stinger-zingers. Best wishes and good luck.
We Americans are 1/4 along in events and outcome of all 245,000,000 of us on Vashon, Maury, and the rest of our American partners up the alphabet.
We have the benefit of 900 years of previous work and a working Constitution:
Keep on keepin on to work it or lose it.
Bernie O’Malley
VMI Mayor 2016
