Commentary; Posted: 9/13/06
Voters in Minnesota have duty to dissent
By Don Heinzman
The political campaign season has begun and political strategists are banking on an electorate that wonít dig into the issues and will rely on sound bites and one-sided advertising.
In a Democracy, itís essential that voters cast an informed vote after examining the candidate, their character, their record, their intelligence and their courage.
ECM Newspapers will present photos and background on all candidates and cover the most important races, particularly the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, the Minnesota Governor and the Minnesota House and Senate.
Public opinion polls are showing a dissatisfaction with the present U.S. administration and the Iraq war. By questioning these domestic and foreign policies some leaders dare to call it treasonous and unpatriotic.
One essential freedom of a Democratic Society is the right, even the duty to dissent. Only then can ideas and issues be crafted and a solution determined.
In suburban communities where everyone is so busy with job, family and just living, there is an uneasy silence. Yet it is in the suburbs where the key battles will be fought for control of the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Congress.
Survey after survey in suburban communities provides one answer for this lack of grassroots political activity. For the most part, people are satisfied with their quality of life. They do not become aroused easily.
In one community, a driver was stopped for a cracked windshield. Failure to show proof of insurance of a truck he borrowed from his brother and having had that same offense twice before he was jailed.
That night he was killed by a beserk prisoner in a classification cell block at the county jail.
After this highly publicized ordeal, the following week in the local newspaper one letter from a woman in St. Paul asked: ìWhy donít we hear of an outcry from citizens about this carelessness? Is life so cheap in Sherburne County?î
There was not one letter in the local newspaper questioning the procedure.
Where was the outrage in Legislative session 2004 when in a stalemated special session all but essential state services were shut down?
Where is the outcry as debt for a questionable war mounts, 18,000 U. S. soldiers are wounded and over 2500 are killed?
One by one people learn their phone calls and their financial records, their library records all can be examined without a court warrant. Americans bow to the idea that loss of such rights is okay if it protects them from terrorism - security first and liberty second.
Last year in a suburban community where a vicious murder had taken place, a resident wailed. ìWhere is the outrage? Does anyone out there care?î
There are more closed meetings in suburban governments; In one city, the administrator was released, the public wasnít given the reasons and no one asked. A school superintendent was placed on special assignment, without the public knowing or seeming to care about the reasons for such an action.
The General Election will be Nov. 7. Maybe then the silent majority will voice its displeasure.
Forest Lake Times
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