[Image]
Today is Election Day across the United States. As US Citizens we have a right to make our voices be heard. I’m urging everyone one of you to get out and vote. Polls are open today from 7 AM to 7 PM. I don’t care if you are voting Democrat, Green, Independent, Libertarian, Republican, or Tea – make your vote count!

Many people don’t think the Presidential Mid-term elections mean that much. They mean just as much if not more than the Presidential Elections. Why? Statistically less people get out and vote. This makes your vote/voice even louder. Another way to look at elections is very similar to emergency management: all disasters are local. I’m not calling your local politicians a disaster, but local elections are where your voice is the most powerful. Do you know the names and stances of your following office holders: school board, city council member, mayor, county commissioner, district attorney, county treasurer, state representative, state senator, judges, governor, state school board, state treasurer, attorney general, secretary of state, us representative, us senators that are representing you?

Voting really should be proactive and not reactive. Kansas is a good example of a reactive state. Kansas is the state that has a couple of times that has banned the teaching of the theory of evolution. However, each time the we ban the teaching of evolution the next election cycle we change it back to allowing the theory of evolution to be taught. I’ve seen this bumper sticker: Kansas -- Where Evolution Is Outlawed And The Monkeys Are In Charge.

Please don’t be a one issue voter – take a look at the campaign literature – and if you have already thrown that out do a search on the candidates whose signs you see in your neighborhood. Whose overall viewpoint best matches what you believe?

Many times we often hear people say Congress is messed up – we just need to start from scratch. Yet, how many of us say, “well, my representative does a good job – it is the rest of Congress”? I have a good friend that never votes for an incumbent. I often tell him, you really need to look what the person stands for and do their political views match yours?

Have you ever noticed that you get to determine if a judge gets to retain their position? This is a time to see if they are soft or hard on criminals. Do you agree with their stance? Are they part of the problem for the back-up of the court system? I’ve heard of several judges that are paid full time yet only working part time – how is this helping out our criminal justice system?

Evolve -don’t let the monkeys be in charge of your government. -Disaster Chick, guest blogger