Town and Country Aldermanic Candidate Asks Why Residents Didn't Vote

This past week there was an “event”.  As one of the main participants in the gig, I sent out “save-the-date” cards nearly 3 months in advance and then spent 2 ½ months personally inviting people to come.  I sent letters, flyers and post cards.  I walked to each of their doors to personally invite them.  I made phone calls, put up signs around town and had friends and neighbors call, write and talk to them about coming.  The local media and other local organizations also sent reminders.

Of the nearly 2000 people in my little piece of West County that were invited, only 400 or so came.  I felt like the biblical man who had that dinner and no one came.  I mentioned sending the poll workers out into “the highways and byways” to find guests for the feast.  The feast being democracy in action and the door prize, its greatest gift: the power and the privilege of voting.  Democracy is a fragile thing.  It is representative government and without citizen input and involvement it cannot be sustained.  Can we really be that busy or that uninterested even in our very own personal space? 

Local politics affects us right where we live and it is the one place where each and every vote really counts.  I ran with a campaign slogan of “Speak out and be heard!”.  My conclusion is that 80 % of Ward 1 in Town and Country has nothing to say.  In reviewing other election results that appears to be the general trend.  In times such as these, that’s a real shame and doesn’t bode well for American democracy and representative government.

Did you vote on April 3?

Dorothy Greco Cooke

2012 Candidate for Alderman

Ward 1 Town and Country 

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