The following information was submitted to the letter to the editor information form on myclintonnews.com:
I am a 78-year-old happily married father of three and grandfather of seven beautiful and gifted grandchildren. Our children are grown up with families, well educated, own their homes and enjoy solid profitable careers. In a recent conversation with our middle child, I shared that grandmother, and I planned to vote early next week. I was horrified by her comment that she was not planning to vote! Why, I asked? “I don’t like either one because they just tell lies . ”I understand her concern and response to the politics of today. We are all stressed to know what to believe anymore. While I assured her that I have no interest in telling her who to vote for, I absolutely cannot understand why a citizen would choose not to exercise this right. We closed this brief encounter with an agreement for her to choose the lesser of two evils and vote. She agreed she would. I cannot understand how a citizen in this country could think that not voting would be a solution to both candidates being unsuitable. It can be very hard and frustrating to decide who you will support and why, especially when neither candidate meets your standards and needs. The choice we agreed to “hold your nose and vote” did not satisfy me that it was strong enough reason to vote. In any election, especially one that is very close, you may not be able to pick the one you like. It might be easier to pick the worst one and vote for the other. A non-vote may in effect be a vote for the least suitable candidate! I think of most of humanity who do not enjoy the right-to-vote that we citizens seem to take for granted. Voting is more than a bonus coupon being born in this country. How many have struggled and died for this privilege? Choosing not to vote is no decision at all. Voting is the only right choice.
Robert McCutchen
Clinton
