by, Renee Wood

One reason I’ve been a Republican in the past is because I’ve seen, and believe, the more government gives to its people, the more people expect.  I am more of a Kasich/Romney republican than a McConnell Republican and don’t include Trump in that party because he’s a party onto himself.  Of course, there has to be a balance between Government protection of its people, and Government control over its people’s everyday life.  People need a Government to create a united force against anything that will imminently endanger its people such as wars, natural disasters, and yes, even pandemics, but Government should not dictate the amount of coke one should drink.  Educate on the health risks of drinking coke, yes, rather than imposing penalties for non-compliance.  Government shouldn’t impose restrictions on behavior that will only affect that individual (things such as who consenting adults sleeps with, helmet/seat-belt laws)!  I fear both parties impinge too much on individual freedom (blog for another day).

With the huge advancement in medicine the past 50, 60 years, I would also have to include paying a good portion of health care costs of its people be included in fulfilling the Government’s responsibility of protecting Americans from imminent danger of disease and illness.  The same as with a natural disaster, no one saw the tsunami of medical advancement, and now the cost is unmanageable for those who are not millionaires, including the average employer. It should no longer be the responsibility of employers to provide health insurance for employees.   It is no one’s fault that medical advancements exploded and drove costs up exponentially, which without affordable medical insurance, poses a threat to the economy, employers staying in business, as well as the health of the American people. The exorbitant costs associated with these medical advancements, is the reason I place health care of its people under the auspices of the Government.  Unhealthy people create an unhealthy country.

Our vote (as legal citizens of America) is of the upmost importance to the people choosing its leaders.  This right needs to be protected against ANY; corruption, voter suppression, henderence to easy and safe access (including accommodations for people with disabilities).  This would also include protecting peoples’ right to vote against those tampering with elections in the highest office.  We see the issues that suddenly appeared with the post office during a time where mail-in ballots were being discussed as the safest way to cast a ballot during this pandemic.  We can discuss fraud and all that, but for the President to not only say his fears about mail-in fraud (presenting no tangible evidence other than his lips moving in declaration of it), but to also witness the president’s crony hired in as Post Master General as if this was just a coincidence.  Then, like magic, Americans see delays in mail like never before.  To top it off the Director of National Security informed the congressional intelligence committee that they will no longer be receiving in person briefings on election security.  This means, although the committee will receive written election security briefings, they won’t be able to ask questions.  This is done two months before an election where the seated President was accused of colluding with Russia to interfere in the previous election.  The President seems to be meddling in the 2020 election.

Two months before a general election, what is the average citizen doing to avoid this widespread voter suppression by the top leader?  Waiting for congress to look into it and fix the problem created in the post office, and waiting for an investigation of the Director of National Security.  This shows peoples learned dependency on the Federal government to fix things, rather than taking some responsibility to do what they can to ensure every ballot is received by the local election board, checked and counted.  Although it is ultimately Congress’ responsibility to check into the post office debacle, Americans can take action in our local communities to collect ballots in a healthy and safe manner during the 2020 pandemic. Local communities should set-up local community drive through places where locked drop-boxes (with a slit to accept ballots) are. These drop-off locations should have certain hours each day (early voting) and be manned and observed by a Democrat and a Republican Party representative.  At the end of each drop-off day, these community voting boxes would be escorted by both parties to the election board, and received by members of local election board.  For people with disabilities, the elderly and people who do not drive, there should be volunteer drivers to collect ballots that are filled-out, and these drivers then drop the ballot off at the local community drop box.  People who request this service would call a central location, and the dispatcher would locate a local volunteer driver in that area to pick-up the ballot within 24 hours of the call.

The day of the election, we could use drive-in movie theaters, empty parking lots, etc. where the person drives up, gives name and address which is checked for registration and precinct, and given a paper ballot to go sit in and fill-out in their car, and place it in the drop-box on the way out of the parking lot.  People with visual impairments being brought to these drive in voting lots on election day, would have to have accommodations made for a private ballot, but I’m sure we can come up with something by then.

However, if communities wait and bitch about the government not fixing the post office, so people can safely vote by mail during a pandemic, then communities are accepting helplessness and dependency.  If we want a fair vote in this election, we cannot look to a corrupt administration to ensure we have access to vote by mail, even if voting by mail would be the right thing to do.  We can scream “foul” all we want, but unless we accept no one’s going to fix this for us (before the November election) those participating in the voter suppression corruption will win.  It is imperative that “We The People” take it upon ourselves to mobilize locally to create alternative safe ways of voting, or we let the true cheaters win!  Else we saw the suppression of mail in votes coming, and waited for someone else to rescue us!

After the election we can hold those responsible for the attempted voter suppression (assuming community action mitigates the suppression).  For now, it’s time we truly become “We The People” and take control of our lives rather than depend on government to fix these problems for us before this election.