Vote

Letter From The Editor

The Latino community in Arizona is large enough to decide any statewide election – that’s just the simple math. So, why don’t they? Why is it that Latinos seem to give away their most precious right as citizens and let other people decide every important civic issue without them? I can’t think of one worthwhile reason.

I get that it seems like a place that could elect the people it does and say the things it says, just doesn’t seem to be worth the truly big effort of an informed vote. To “vote well” you must pay attention to what is going on in your government, what the future plans of a community are and how other qualified leaders might do a better job. All that takes real effort. It should never be as easy as checking for a “D” or “R” next to a name.

One would think that making a better place for your children, parents, church, business, friends, fellow humans or even just yourself might get you to give it a try, but I get it. Your one vote won’t change anything. It would take a whole lot more people than just you to make a difference in the results. But, that isn’t quite true.

There are a lot of single individuals in our community who are trying to make a difference. Some of them are even running for office. Some are even Latino. It takes amazing courage to put your name out there and say “Please vote for me”. There is no more intimate an act in a society than voting and nothing with more responsibility than asking for the trust of your community via the ballot. Few answer the call because when you do, you open yourself to the most public of failures – even if you win.

These individuals can and do make a difference. These people leverage a lot of other individuals, who alone can’t effect change, but via their combined votes can have a say in making our community a better place.

Apathy is a vote – it’s a vote to let people who don’t know what you know make decisions  about everything that really matters to you. They decide who you should live near, who you should love, who gets protected and who gets forgotten. I guess that’s no big deal, right?

Just my opinion — It is the BIGGEST deal.

I beg you to vote.