This Voter is Terribly Disillusioned | Eastern North Carolina Now

    On October 28, the final presidential debate of the 1980 election was held in Cleveland, Ohio. In his closing remarks, Ronald Reagan asked viewers: "Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we're as strong as we were four years ago? And if you answer all of those questions 'yes', why then, I think your choice is very obvious as to whom you will vote for. If you don't agree, if you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have."

    How bad have things gotten in the world and in our lives that these weren't even the questions we asked when we cast our votes this week? And how distracted must we be by the shenanigans and posturing of this inept current government that our corrupt, arbitrary and oppressive taxation system wasn't even an issue for debate? As we squabble over "R" and "D" and how we can make everyone happy and comfortable – even those who don't feel they need to obey laws or conform to norms of decency or even contribute to society – our country is slipping away from us. And the only thing we'll end up giving our children and grandchildren is a government that makes it easier to be a despicable human being, to work harder for less, to be punished for investing in personal development and success, and to be stressed and frustrated for the length of their lives.

    Wow, we must really love our children.

    I saw the following election poster on facebook, obviously playing on Reagan's famous remarks. It was titled "humorous" but it really isn't so funny, is it? It's truthful. It's accurate. It's the new reality. A government tasked to keep its people safe and secure and to protect their liberties has become predatory and has put us at great risks on so many levels. We really should be asking ourselves whether this is the kind of government we want. And if that answer is "no," then we need to figure out, as those brilliant men back in the 1700's did, what we need to do to design and implement a government suitable for a people historically destined to enjoy the greatest degree of freedom on the planet.

    With all that in mind, I voted on November 4. Of course, I voted. I used my vote not only to help elect some of the servants I feel will represent us well and remain constrained by the written will of the people, but I also used my vote to exercise my precious first amendment right – the freedom of speech and expression. I hope my seemingly inconsequential vote will send a message. I'm disgusted with both political parties – Democrats and Republicans. One has huge balls and is audacious and the other has none and is spineless. I hope when North Carolina counts its votes, a message will have been sent. More importantly, I hope the message will be RECEIVED !!

    Publisher's note: Diane Rufino has her own blog, For Love of God and Country. Come and visit her. She'd love your company.