Happy Election Day 2005!

"A chicken in every pot."

"Tippecanoe and Tyler too."

"Happy days are here again."

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow."

"Camelot."

"Help is on the way."

"If nominated, I will not run. If elected I will not serve."

Greetings, my fellow Americans! Today is a glorious day for America. Today is election day! Election day is a strange day in America. It's full of dichotomies, ironies, sarcasm and good old-fashioned, bare-knuckle politics. For weeks, in some cases months, we've been hit with a barrage of political mud, campaign smears, screaming, yelling, downright thievery. And all in the name of the grand old Red, White and Blue! You have to love it.

Locally, the big mayor's race has been splattered with anonymous mailings, stolen lawn signs, unsupported attacks, and charges of gross misconduct. Heck, after the PR blast I've been lambasted with, you'd think the FBI, the CIA, the ATF and the black helicopters would have already descended upon this quiet, upstate New York city. Why, one candidate for mayor even had the nerve, nay - the gall, to work in the public defender's office. How could I possibly even entertain the thought of voting for some one who's devoted their life to letting criminals get off free? Surely, upon the moment he would assume office, the city lockup would be emptied and the police department closed.

Its an exasperating time of year, no doubt. There's so much mud thrown around, that it is impossible to discuss any real issues or ideas. Many people get so turned off they won't even vote. I have a secret. I like it. I enjoy all the hubris that comes with election day. When I was younger, I used to campaign for politicians. It was a win-win deal. There's always a big party election night, and we either get to drown our sorrows, or celebrate our victories. Either way, it's free beer and food. I love America.

I guess what I'm so fond of us is two things. First off, I love the enthusiasm. Granted I believe 49.9% of the voters are complete idiots, for no other reason than they vote the other way. But still, it takes stamina, fortitude, and effort to last through marathon campaigns. These people, our fellow Americans, are passionate about their views. And they put that passion into their efforts, year after year, after year. Its not easy, I know. But still, there's a "Senior Day" from high school kind of carnival fun. Get out and work. Drop off flyers, knock on doors, man the phone banks.

But what I truly appreciate about all this effort is - we don't fight. Certainly some do, but those are very few incidents, and they usually occur in the big money races, not in local hometown politics. Here, about as bad as it gets is the occasional stolen lawn sign. And after the election is history, for the most part, we all go back to being neighbors. To think, that America, the most powerful nation in the history of the world can peacefully transfer power always amazes me. Every time I hear terms like "The People's Democratic Republic of North Korea", or "President For Life", I thank the good Lord for the blessing of being born in America. For all our problems - and there are many - we are still the freest nation on the face of this planet. And when we refuse to pick up guns, knives, clubs, and instead reach for petitions, flyers, and bumper stickers, a great thing indeed has happened once again. Absolute, irrefutable proof, that people of differing views can come together, hash it out, and then agree to live by the decision of the common man (and woman). Far too many of us don't realize what a great gift that is.

Secondly what I like about election day, is what it represents about America, American history, and humanity in general. We can get along - sort of. America wasn't the first democracy. I believe the first representative form of government belongs to the ancient Greeks in Athens. (Please excuse my public school education.) But that didn't last very long. The second was in Poland in the 1500's. That bit of information was related to me during a Polish Heritage Day Mass at my local Church. The Priest, who is from Poland, went on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on (I think that's the first time I ever heard a gentle, old Grandmother say in Church "Jesus Christ - is he ever going to shut up?") Poland toyed with the idea of democracy, and was promptly rewarded with having their entire nation partitioned between the neighboring kingdoms. Can't have the unwashed masses thinking they don't need kings to guide them through life.

But America is different. Here we don't despise the common man, we trust him. Recently I read 1776 by David McCullough, and I've learned just what was required of the common man in that year, so many decades ago. The common man rose up to defend his property, his family, himself, and his nation. And I might add, in 1776, the common man in America got his ass handed to him with a side of 'slaw by the King's army. Eventually, the common man, under the charge of General George Washington - and a host of other capable leaders and soldiers - won independence from Great Britain. And, what they won is so monumentally important, that only these words can begin to comprehend what we've won: "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Those are powerful words. They don't just lay on the page like Dear Abby. They jump off the page, they grab you by the soul, and they burn in your heart. We don't need no stinking kings, or queens, or dictators, or military junta, or presidents for life to govern over us. We can do it ourselves. You, me, the nice lady next door, the directors of the funeral home whose garage is adjacent to my back yard (they are nice neighbors, very quiet). You, me, we, and all of us in this land can be trusted to determine for ourselves, what is best for us.

To me, many nations around the world don't seem to understand America very well. The answer is obvious. When Saddam ruled Iraq, whatever Iraq did was directly attributed to the despot. His will was law. In America it doesn't work that way. To me, America appears to be this lumbering giant, bouncing off the items in the world's china shop, banging off this, lurching into that. But the key is, it's not attributed to one person, because in America, it's not one person, it is all of us. (I bet Saddam still wonders why Bush just didn't pull out a pistol and shoot John Kerry during the first debate.) America doesn't appear rational, because 280,000,000 people aren't rational. But, to use Saddam as an example again, one person isn't necessarily rational either.

So in conclusion, enjoy the day. Celebrate it even. It was a dreadfully hard-fought right, to have a hand in choosing one's own destiny. The right has been defended many times, by many people, over many wars, over many decades. The decisions of America have hardly been always right. But they are the decisions of the common people, the ones who don't need a king, chosen by God, to rule over us. They are our decisions. And apparently, they've been right more times than wrong, or else we'd be ruled by a king, which we are not. So make sure today you vote and then go hoist a cold one (I'm talking beer, get your mind out of the gutter) and give a thanks to the common man who gave us this country, this opportunity. We are all the common man (and woman). And remember - all men (and women) are created equal. And they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.....