What’s the point?

Today, people will go to the polls to have their voices heard. However, it’s a little election with few races worth mentioning. Only a handful of of contested races throughout the region seem almost designed to keep turn out for a minimum.

So what’s the point?

The point is simple. We live in a world where every day, more and more of our basic freedoms are taken away from us. The most invasive of these often take place at the local level. We have ordinances in this area that dictate how high your grass can be, whether a car can sit in your driveway, and even which direction your garage can face. These are simple decisions that should be left to individuals, but they’re not.

As such, the local government can easily become the most tyrannical. Take, for example, New York City and their bans on things from firearms to foie gras. These are simple freedoms, and yet an invasive local government has banned them. While the Supreme Court will decide whether or not communities have a right to ban firearms, there will likely be little movement on the more idiotic of these bans.

Albany and the surrounding communities find themselves staring down the barrel at our potential future. The recent addition of surveillence cameras to downtown represent a presence on the City Commission to take on the more vile aspects of local government from other cities throughout the world, despite evidence that they don’t necessarily even work. 

It’s only through the election process that we can directly cause change in the status quo.  Whether we’re talking about Albany or Leesburg or some other neck of the woods, we must make the effort.  Even if the race is uncontested, you can cast you vote of no confidence by simply not voting for someone you think is doing an awful job.

Future candidates will see that of X number of votes cast, only Y were cast in favor of Candidate Z despite running uncontested.  They’ll see that there’s a chance, and they’ll give it a shot.  Maybe they’re the candidate your area needs most.

Contested, uncontested, it doesn’t matter.  Get to the polls.  Vote.  And make your voice heard.