American democracy is a system of governance that offers itself to people of all beliefs, or no beliefs; to people with skin tones of all shades; to adults young and old, those able to ride a bike to the polls, and those who wish to vote from a car, or by absentee ballot. Anyone 18 and older can exercise the ballot, with no one watching over a shoulder when you make your choice. The ballot is excluded to a very few, most notably felons who have not yet received restoration of their rights as citizens.
Compare and contrast to the rapid “referendums” conducted in eastern Ukraine this fall, with persons held at gunpoint in order to vote for annexation by Russia. What a sham, what a disgrace they were to the concept of self-governance.
Back to our Election Day, which occurs on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
If democracy is compared to a religion, Election Day is the holiest sacrament.
It’s the opportunity offered to the citizens to govern themselves by choosing those in charge.
In an off-year with no Pr...