Over the course of the political campaign, I’ve noticed quite a few stories about protestors with bullhorns. I assume that these people were afraid they wouldn’t be heard, so something that magnifies your voice fifty-times was a simple fix to that. Nevertheless, the bullhorn-toting people started busting into political rallies and candidate offices, barking their displeasure. It is my opinion that anyone who isn’t either registered to vote, or who has not voted in the most recent election, should not be allowed to buy a bullhorn. If found with one in their possession, said horn should be seized and smashed on the spot. Protest that.

For sixteen months now, the Arcadia News has published community-service announcements, reminding our readers to take advantage of their right to vote. We can only hope that this helps the process a little. I was nauseated when I found out that the recent primary elections had a 22.5% turnout in Maricopa county (see the Secretary of State’s Web site). Sure, it was a primary, but it was also a chance to put some people on the November ballot. As one of the announcements we printed read, “not voting is the same as letting other people make your decisions for you.” And that is exactly what 1,119,929 voters in Maricopa county let happen back in September during Arizona’s primary election.

No one likes to hear this kind of statistic. No one likes to have fingers pointed at them, accusing them of being non-voters. Really, what does it prove? Is the writer trying to put himself on some higher plane here? Is he trying to make himself out to be some sort of model citizen, free from critique? Is he some kind of perfect American or something?

No, not at all. I also know that inciting arguments and making people feel bad isn’t going to get anyone to do something they don’t want to do. And that must be what it is – something these 1,119,929 people just don’t want to do. And if that’s the case, I’m expecting there to be 1,119,929 less people complaining about their government and elected officials for the next four years. This should be good for a lot of us.

By the time you read this, you will have likely voted in the November 2 election. Hopefully the tension in this country will have settled a bit, and hardcore political fanatics will have gone the way of the “Free Lunch.” During the writing of this article, I watched all three Presidential debates, and the only Vice-Presidential debate. Taking all of this in, I thought about the craziness that has taken hold of these campaigns, and the weirdness that has seemingly divided this country into two factions. In my experience (at a local wine bar), a simple discussion of politics leads to a division between the “right” and the “wrong.” And I don’t mean that as a right/left euphemism. One only need to look at the “Anybody But Bush” bumper stickers to understand it.

Barring any legal complications, we’ll know very soon who will lead this country into the next four years. Some of us will have picked him, and some will have picked the other guy. Some will have let us choose for them, and very soon their right to the bullhorn should be revoked.