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Editorial
Casting votes best way to honor forebears
Monday, October 6, 2014
It's popular to be patriotic on the Fourth of July, Veterans Day and Memorial Day, and to honor those who have served and are serving in the military, but too many of us don't take advantage of the most appropriate way to honor those who have won us our freedoms.
We are about to get that chance. In fact, thanks to early voting, we can cast our votes today.
It's for just such an opportunity young people are protesting in Hong Kong right now. Yes, China has elections after a fashion, but voters can choose only from among Beijing's hand-picked candidates.
Some argue that America's elections are not much better, major parties and their financial supporters providing the only candidates with a chance to actually win office.
But Americans aren't likely to face something like the response to the Tiananmen Square demonstrations of 1989 any time soon. Let's hope the current protest ends more peacefully, with positive results.
You can find out more about two of the candidates in this fall's election at a forum Tuesday, 7 p.m. in the Imperial Theatre in Imperial, Nebraska.
Sponsored by the City of Imperial, the event will feature Dan Hughes of Venango and Steve Stroup of Benkelman, who want to represent the 44th District in the Nebraska Legislature. They defeated Dennis Berry of McCook to appear on the November ballot.
Another candidate forum, sponsored by High Plains Radio, will take place next week, 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Bieroc Cafe in McCook. The Gazette will take part in that forum.
Those will be good times to find out more about the candidates seeking our votes.
If you've made up your mind already, however, early voting is already underway by mail, and began in person today at county offices.
Voter registrations that are mailed in must be postmarked by Friday, Oct. 17. That is also that last day voter registrations can be completed at DMV. county treasurer, state agencies or other department offices.
More information is available at your county courthouse or online from the Nebraska Secretary of State, http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/voter_info.html
Let's get informed and help select the leaders who will guide our society in the future. If will fail to take part in the political process for which our forebears sacrificed, those sacrifices will have been in vain.