Another Election, Same Issues — By John Reed

Another Election, Same Issues
Thank goodness for TV streaming services! They allow me to fast forward through all the political ads that get increasingly shrill as we near Election Day in November. Each side claiming their opponent is worse than the Antichrist, promising angels and unicorns on their own side
Nothing about this is new. Ever since humans crawled out of caves, our social organization has run the gamut from one single leader (king/emperor/ dictator) to complete individualism. Even the expulsion from Eden was a metaphoric contrast between an autocratic deity and rebellious people.
Over the centuries, most forms of government wind up somewhere between the two extremes…the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, Stalin’s commissars, Mao’s Great Leap Forward…all previews of the arguments we’re hearing now.
So the choices we face now are just echoes of the past. One side believes the government or its proxies knows best and should run most elements of society. The other side rebels against that, claiming individuals have the right to make their own decisions.
Regardless of one’s opinions on the candidates or the issues, the most important thing is to vote. Those who don’t vote have no room to complain about the outcome. Turnout for the last several elections has been miserably light.
No matter what side you’re on, the stakes are high. Vote!