Faith in old ladies

A few weeks ago, Bill Nemitz of the Portland Press Herald wrote a marvelous column about town clerks and voting in Maine. You can look at it here. The gist of it was that clerks in Maine are not likely to be ruffled by national scrutiny if it turns out that the whole election rests on the one electoral vote in Maine's Second Congressional District. See, Maine splits its electoral votes, unlike most states, so in a bizarre fantasy world, it could happen. Not likely, but whatever. It was a great column, and he put voice to what many of us know to be true: Maine Town Clerks are not to be trifled with.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the occasion to visit with an old colleague/competitor at her vacation place up in Machias. We worked at competing daily newspapers many years ago but have remained friendly. She is a hardened veteran of daily news reporting, and I was a neophyte right out of college, more accustomed to being IN the news as a protester or activist than writing the news from the other side of the notebook. I still scooped her once or twice. Back then, that was the highlight of my month. But anyway, we laughed and talked and told stories over a homemade meal. I mentioned the Nemitz column and we both agreed with his assessment.

See, most people view voting process and procedure as some murky thing done in back rooms by scary people with axes to grind. S and I know, and truly, any reporter who has ever covered a small town election day knows, that town clerks, particularly town clerks in small Maine towns, hold few things in higher regard than the election process. I know of no clerk who was more partisan than she was clerk. I cannot imagine it. These women - for most of them are women - might be ardent supporters of one candidate over another, of one party over another, but never - and I do mean NEVER - would they compromise the integrity of the voting and counting process. Period.

These old gals (for many of them are seniors) are the keepers of democracy in its purest form. They are the pith and marrow of democracy in Maine, and truly, in America. If their candidate loses by one vote in their town, then he loses by one vote. Period. That's all there is to it. There is no wiggling of the votes. There is no fenagling of anything. The votes were cast. They were counted. The numbers are the numbers and the clerks dutifully call them in to the Bangor Daily News and to the local candidates when the tally is done. In Maine, the BDN has historically been the agency that works with the Secretary of State's office to compile and tally vote totals all over Maine. Darned if I know why, but that's how it is done here.

So anyway, S and I got to talking about town clerks we'd known over the years. A favorite was an old battle-axe of a woman out in B, Maine. God bless dear CM, she's still kicking around in municipal government, so I won't name names or actual locations. CM is legendary among town clerks in that section of Maine. For years and years, she kept all municipal documents in her kitchen, tax stuff, car registration stuff, hunting licenses, fishing licenses, everything, right there in boxes and file cabinets. On Halloween night, she'd be up late, not giving out candy, but issuing hunting licenses for deer season that starts at dawn on November 1. She ran the whole town and dispatched the volunteer fire and rescue and ambulance service as well. She ran well-baby clinics and kept an eye on who was in need and who was building without a permit. One year, when things were particularly contentious in town, she was asked to moderate the annual town meeting.

Now in Maine, the annual town meeting is a thing unlike any other. Voters get together to decide the entire municipal budget and to approve or reject any major policy issues, decide on roads and schools and local emergency services. And then there is often a potluck dinner when it is done. Town meeting is serious stuff. And in small towns, it behooves residents to disagree without being disagreeable, because the guy you're shouting at in debate is going to be the one driving the fire truck when your house is burning. So anyway, CM was asked to moderate in a year when emotions were high.

She arrived and took the podium as moderators do. She set aside the gavel and gave the podium a sharp rap with her rolling pin. "Now listen," the legend has her cautioning the opposing groups assembled in the grange hall, "the first one of you bahstids to step outta line gets smacked in the head." She brandished the rolling pin again.

The budget was decided in record time and everyone enjoyed the luncheon. Or else.

With such formidable women in charge of counting votes, I have more faith in the democratic process here in the rural parts of our nation than I have in the more urban areas where women with rolling pins are not guarding the process.

ADDENDUM: I have just learned that a new municipal clerk WITH THE SAME NAME as the one in this story is running things in town B. Apparently there is no family connection. But you know what? I still won't disclose the identity of the woman in the story. Because she is more typical of Maine Town Clerks than not. She could be any town clerk in any tiny town anywhere in Maine. And that's what I love about Maine.

Democracy is not a spectator sport

This is something I wrote a long time ago, but I think it still holds true and is timely. If you've seen it before, get over it and go read something else. I have updated some of the stuff to make it more current.

I have heard in the past year or so, the argument made that neither candidate inspires, that neither candidate meets the needs/wants/desires of a particular voter, and therefore, that voter has decided to stay home on November 4. L's family is like this. Her brother feels that any president ought to have experience in the military, but he has no faith in McCain's abilities, so he will not vote this year.

He is among those same people who were raised on welfare and SSDI, who have relied upon the government for everything from the day they were born (think WIC program) and yet still refuse to participate in that program.

I don't think her mother has ever cast a ballot and does not know who her local, state, or federal representatives or senators are, nor could she name the vice president of the US. This goes beyond ignorance, which is a lack of knowledge, directly into the realm of willful stupidity, which is a flat refusal to care or learn.

They abdicated their responsibility, and others defend them, saying that I should not be harsh in my assessment of their behavior.

Cultural relativism is an interesting, but inherently flawed argument.

Cannot we agree, as a community and a society that there are some things that are just wrong?

Certainly people can believe what they like, but I would argue that there are some beliefs that are wrong.

Murder is wrong.

Hurting people is wrong.

Child abuse is wrong.

Elder abuse is wrong.

The belief in Aryan supremacy is wrong.

The belief that one gender is superior to any other is wrong.

The belief that homosexuality is an abomination is wrong.

And belief that democracy is a spectator sport. is. just. wrong.

I believe that I have the right to say racism is wrong. Sexism is wrong. Homophobia is wrong. Discrimination is wrong. These are truths.

I also happen to believe that with the rights granted to us by the United States Constitution and all of its Amendments, come great and grave responsibilities to care for and maintain those rights and those documents. Part of those responsibilities means taking an active role in the process. Working for things we believe in, fighting things we are opposed to, and voting when we are called upon to do that. I view our system of government much like a living thing. It must be cared for and paid attention to or it will die. Part of the care and feeding of our system of government means voting. Nobody can do it for us. Like feeding our kids, it is our responsibility.

I have an interesting proposal: If someone wants to shirk that responsibility, and defend that decision with any number of arguments, fine. Let that person abdicate their responsibility, but also let them forgo all of the benefits their government provides. No more unemployment checks, no more disability checks, no VA medical care - oh wait, that's already been gutted, never mind - no protection under the law. Got mugged? Didn't vote? Sucks to be you. OK, don't want to pay taxes? You get to eat the food that has not been inspected. You get to drive the vehicle without seatbelts and airbags and those little explosion-preventing features mandated by law. Oh, but taxes pay for roads, so you can't use them.

I think Australia has compulsory voting. I like that idea. You get hit with a hefty fine if you don't cast a ballot. Nice. That's one way to make sure everybody participates. But holy shit - is that how it should be? I hardly think so. Active participation in democracy is like active participation in parenting. It's just something you should fucking do. It's your (our) job. No questions, no complaints, just do it. Turn off the tv, get up off the couch and attend a candidate's night. volunteer, even, but do something to get involved in the process. Even if all you do is call the candidates and ask a couple of questions about issues that are important to you. How do you feel about school funding? What are your thoughts on pollution and what can we do about it? Gay rights? Abortion? Just ask. If they're running, it's their job to answer, and to listen to your concerns.

Or sit home and let the rest of us decide for you. Because you are too scared, or overwhelmed or you dislike conflict or maybe just because you are a lazy, stupid fuck. This is your life, your world, that is being affected here. And that means it is mine, too. I care enough to participate in my world, and by association, your world, too. Pull your own weight.

Get out and vote and quit your whining. Don't like the candidates? Then put up or shut up and run for office yourself. Not willing? Then be grateful someone else is and give one of them your support.

I will stop now because I am horribly frustrated by this whole thing.

Why are we even arguing to convince people to participate in their own lives? Fuckit. Stay home if you want. Die stupid. It's your right.

Everybody's doing it

Seems like everybody out there in the blogosphere is posting eloquent and touching stories about how our world has changed since the attacks seven years ago.

I can't do it. I thought about it briefly this morning, and wrote a paragraph or two that I shared with friends, but that was about it. I am terrified of what our nation has become as a result of an uneducated cowboy in the White House and some crazy religious fanatics who hate us. The two unwittingly joined forces and made my country into the kind of place we read about in social studies when we studied life behind the iron curtain. The government spies on the citizens, dissenters "disappear," private "security firms" of mercenaries operate outside the law, torture is approved, the government behaves as though it is immune from oversight.

I have no poignant stories to tell this year. Instead, I have a plea.

Register to vote. And then educate yourself about the issues and exercise your right (privilege, honor, and obligation) to vote in November.