Patriotism and ghosts

(This was written on April 22, 2008 (Election Day in Pennsylvania)

I live in New Jersey and this was the first Presidential primary in which my vote mattered - in the sense that it was cast prior to the nomination having already been decided. Before this year it was always a done deal by the time NJ rolled around.

That said, I always vote, always, even when there are no challengers. I don't always vote for all of the candidates (I've been known to bullet vote a bit, leaving some positions unvoted), but I've never, ever cast a vote for a Republican...I'm not proud of that, but it is important to me - it's where the Leninist in me comes out - I believe that true progress is achieved by groups of people acting in concert, not by lone wolves pushing through changes that will simply be rolled back after the excitement of their "personality" fades - which it always does.
















But as I said, I always vote. This may sound negative but I don't see it negatively: I usually have an image of Omaha Beach in my mind when I walk into the polling place - or of Antietam, or of Breeds Hill in Boston...the fact that men and women actually offered their lives so I could do this simple thing - it would be a slur against their sacrifice and memory if I didn't redeem their honor with this simple act - particularly since it is so painless for me to do so.

I'm not "patriotic" in the standard sense, maybe. But I do believe that the ideals of America - while rarely achieved - still inspire people to search for the "angels of our better nature." And lives offered up to those dreams deserve to be remembered, not only in Memorial Day parades but more importantly at the ballot box. It's the least we can do.

It never happens that all my wishes for America come true because I go out to vote - but none of them will if I don't, I know that.

SO...get out and vote, you sons and daughters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!