VOTE FOR THE FUTURE

VOTE FOR THE FUTURE

            Municipal elections will be held in our county on Tuesday, November 2.  It is what pundits call an “off year” for elections.  There are no statewide or national offices up for vote.  I reviewed the ballot for London Grove, the municipality in which I live, and I am torn over the choices for Coroner and Clerk of Courts.  (Only kidding!)  Not that these aren’t important posts.  I am grateful to the candidates who are running for them.  But how am I to decide who are the best candidates?  I do not even know what their jobs require.  Nor do I know the position of the candidates on various issues.  I almost feel ashamed to admit that I will end up voting the way that most people vote when they don’t know the candidates – according to Party affiliation.

            But will there be many voters in this election, or not?  Of course, the greatest turnout for an election is every four years, when voters choose the U.S. President.  I suppose that the second greatest turnout is every two years, when they choose their representative to the U.S. Congress.  One might be tempted to think that this week’s election is not important, but one would be wrong, because the outcome will affect all of us.  The efficiency of local government will be largely determined by who fills key positions which are on the ballot, such as Township Supervisor and Controller.  Judges who will be elected or retained will make decisions that greatly impact many lives.  Elected school board members will influence the tone and substance of education in our public schools.

            It seems reasonable to suppose that a voter has more influence in an election which has few voters than in an election which has many voters.  All the more reason to vote in municipal as well as in state and national elections!  I consider voting to be not only a civil duty but a Christian responsibility.  The Church encourages us to be faithful citizens and work towards the common good.  This teaching is rooted in the natural law: “The dignity of the human person requires the pursuit of the common good.  Everyone should be concerned to create and support institutions that improve the conditions of human life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1926).  Jesus’ command to love one’s neighbor as oneself is a primary motivation for a person of faith to work on behalf of the common good. 

“As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life.  The manner of this participation may vary from one country or culture to another” (Catechism #1915).  We are blessed in the United States to have the right to be active in public life by voting.  In this way we make an important contribution to the common good as we understand it.  The common good will always presuppose respect for human persons and their fundamental and inalienable rights, including the right to life, to liberty, to practice their religion, to privacy, to act in accordance with one’s conscience, and freedom to pursue one’s integral development.  It takes into consideration “what is needed to lead a truly human life: food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on.”  It also requires peace, security, the rule of law and the just administration of justice.  It must also allow for legitimate personal and collective defense (cf. Catechism #1907-1909).                       

                    One of the effects of the way we do municipal elections in Pennsylvania is that the majority of the public has little or no knowledge of candidate positions or their record.  Nevertheless, I write today to encourage voting on Tuesday, and in every election, with an informed conscience and, to the best that one is able, a reasonable understanding of the candidates and issues.  One of the important issues in this election is the makeup of the local school boards.  We need school directors who will respect the input of parents in making decisions about course curricula.  We also need them to not permit or promote the infiltration of course material into the schools developed by so-called “progressive” groups.  Their purpose, which they sometimes publicly admit to, is to change society by indoctrinating students into their radical way of thinking about family, human life, sexuality, race, and traditional values.  They can be stopped at the polls.  For the sake of the common good let us vote for candidates with wholesome values and ideas.