Reflections/Jonathan Gramling
Your Vote Is Crucial!
The first time that I voted in an election was in 1972 when I was 20-years-old. It was the first time that I was allowed to vote. The voting age had been 21-years-old. But since 18-20-year-olds were dying as soldiers in the Vietnam War, the country felt that they should have the right to help decide things through voting.
I voted for George McGovern that year. And even though Richard Nixon won, it planted the seeds for his downfall two years later due to his compulsion to control and basic insecurity. Two years later, he resigned due to the consequences of the Watergate break-in.
Ever since then, I have voted in every presidential election — I felt so honored to cast my ballot for Barack Obama back in 2008 — since then. I do have to admit that I failed to vote in a couple of spring elections, but never a November election.
It is said that the more things change, the more they remain the same. I looked back at my Election Day column from 2918 — another mid-term election and this is what I observed:
“It is especially important that we use our agape love to vote on Election Day on November 6th. It is by people voting in the mass that it destroys the intent of the people who would take away people’s rights through violence and hate. It would make their efforts meaningless and of no avail.
That is what scares them. It is their fear that causes them to use hate and violence because long ago, they lost their souls.
But we must have love in our hearts and a vision in our imaginations when we vote on November 6th.
When I started this column, I was going to urge people to vote for certain candidates. But I think it is more important to just urge people to exercise their right to vote, a right that their ancestors shed their blood for and the first right that people try to negate when they want to rule society with an iron hand. And cast your vote with love and a vision in your heart and soul for a better Wisconsin and society.
Ignore the hate and threats of violence, for it is only meant to own your body and soul. Don’t give in to it so that you continue to be the captains of your destiny.
I think that is what the late Mercile Lee and Dr. King would want. Vote on November 6th! Who you are depends on it.”
Of all of the elections, federal and state, that I have had the privilege to vote in, I feel that this election has more at stake than any of the others. For the first time, the system of voting and democracy are on the ballot.
In past years, I voted according to who was on the ballot and how they stood on issues and how their vote on policies would impact my interests. The viability of the government wasn’t at stake, mainly just how it would work in whose interests.
But this year, democracy itself is on the ballot. In all my years, this is the fiorst time that someone like Donald Trump has been in control of the federal government. He doesn’t believe in the rule of law. He doesn’t believe in laws at all. Due to the horrible U.S, Supreme Court decision, Trump is immune from the violation of laws while he is exercising the duties of his position. Well, in Trump’s view, everything he does is in pursuant to conducting his official dutues. Consequently, any and everything he does is lawful.
And so by that very concept, Trump has to obey no law and has become — at least in his own mind and those of his followers and enablers — a dictator. Just recently, Trump said that he and his fellow dictators — Putin of Russia and Xi of China — would get together to decide the fate of the Ukraine. Ukraine is not invited to the table. No democracy here.
And so when Trump calls American elections fixed and crooked — just because he lost the 2020 election — he is putting himself in a position to decide which election is fair and who was legitimately elected. If that doesn’t take our notion of what democracy is, what will?
Trump is trying everything he can to disrupt the 2026 election including sending “monitors” to observe elections and obtaining voter rolls to decide who can vote.
And so it is crucial that you vote in this election. The more people who turn out an vote, the harder it makes Trump able to declare that the election was fixed. People need to use the electoral process of certainly you will lose it.
And there is definitely a stark choice at the top of the ballot in Wisconsin. On the one hand, you have Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley who has actually administrative experience on the one hand. On the other hand, you have Congressman Tom Tiffany, a career politician who was an election denier in 2020 and as a Congressman, he has voted with Donald Trump 100 percent of the time.
I like David Crowley as Wisconsin’s next governor. He has real-life experiences that make him in tune with the needs of average Wisconsinites. I think he will be sensible and progressive, helping to create an environment in which ALL Wisconsinites can thrive. And the icing on the cake would be that he would be Wisconsin’s first Black governor.
So turn out on November 3rd or before to vote for David Crowley as our next governor. And in this day and age of threats to our electoral process and right to decide who our leaders are, use your vote or lose it!