On November 1, 1960 64% of the Nation’s Electorate went to cast their vote for President of the United States.\u00a0 John Kennedy carried the State of Connecticut 53.7% to Richard Nixon’s 46.3%.\u00a0\u00a0Kennedy did not have the same success\u00a0in Mrs. Bear’s Sixth Grade Class at Hamden Hall Country Day School. <\/p>\n
In that class students lined up for the Candidates of their choice flanking each side of the room.\u00a0 If memory serves, we were responsible for telling the class… briefly<\/em>… why we supported Kennedy or Nixon.<\/p>\n Let the record show that I stood in the line by the windows and voted for the team of Nixon and Lodge along with Chuck Clark, Gary Moss and Duncan Moffitt among others.\u00a0 Nixon carried the Sixth Grade, although Kennedy prevailed in the School.<\/p>\n Let the record also show, that this was my first Election, and it would be the only<\/em> time that I ever voted for Richard Nixon.\u00a0 In 1968 and 1972 I voted against him\u00a0(in fact, I am disappointed that\u00a0I didn’t have the \u00a0chance not<\/em> to vote for him when he ran for Governor of California).<\/p>\n My reasons for supporting Nixon was that, at age 10, I thought that Nixon’s experience was vastly superior to Kennedy’s.\u00a0 I also thought that Henry Cabot Lodge had great experience, and<\/em>\u00a0an impressive sounding name.\u00a0 An impressive name?\u00a0 I guess that is the political equivalent of selecting a horse by the colour of the jockey silks.\u00a0 Hey, I was 10.<\/p>\n My parents voted for Kennedy.\u00a0 They were Democrats; but\u00a0I don’t think they tried to influence my choice.\u00a0 Nor, at that time, was I aware that our store, Chipp, made clothing for Senator John Kennedy.\u00a0 Had I known that detail, I might have moved to the other side of the classroom and thrown my support his way.\u00a0 After all, customer loyalty has to make-up ground on experience.<\/em><\/p>\n It’s forty years later, and we are on the eve of another presidential election.\u00a0 Maybe the most important of my lifetime.\u00a0 And for the first time in memory I will be voting for someone who I actually like, instead of voting for the lesser of two evils.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/em>But even if I didn’t like <\/em>a candidate, even if I had to select the lesser of two evils<\/em>, I would still be voting.\u00a0 As a citizen, I think it is one of the most important things we do.\u00a0 We become involved in the process.\u00a0 We don’t have to make speeches.\u00a0 We don’t have to write letters to the editor.\u00a0 We don’t have to attend political rallies.\u00a0 We don’t have to go to Party pancake breakfasts.\u00a0 We don’t have join a political party.\u00a0 We just have to register to vote.\u00a0 And then vote.<\/p>\n Yes, it’s just one vote.\u00a0 A vote among millions.\u00a0 A vote that gets buried in the quagmire of the Electoral College.\u00a0 But the vote is so important… because it shows that you care.\u00a0 <\/em>That’s what makes it so important… you are telling yourself<\/em><\/u> that “I care.”<\/p>\n You can wear your flag pins, put a “support the troops” ribbon magnet on your car; but it means absolutely nothing if you don’t vote.\u00a0 There is nothing wrong with displaying your patriotism; but to do so without supporting your beliefs in the polling place,\u00a0then “flying the flag”\u00a0becomes a vacant and hypocritical form of patriotism.<\/p>\n Please get out there and vote.\u00a0 It’s important.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On November 1, 1960 64% of the Nation’s Electorate went to cast their vote for President of the United States.\u00a0 John Kennedy carried the State of Connecticut 53.7% to Richard Nixon’s 46.3%.\u00a0\u00a0Kennedy did not have the same success\u00a0in Mrs. Bear’s … Continue reading