Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
You say you never vote? Or maybe you’re too busy to take time to vote? Why should you bother? One vote doesn’t make a difference. Or does it?
Did you know . . . ?
In 1776, America’s primary language would have been German if it weren’t for the one vote majority in favor of English.
In 1845, one vote made Texas part of the United States. When the Senate voted on this issue, a tie occurred. Then one Senator changed his vote and by this single vote Texas became the 28th state.
In 1876, with the presidential election thrown into the House, Rutherford B. Hayes won by a single vote cast by an Indiana Congressman who himself had been elected by a one vote margin.
In 1923, one vote in the German Parliament gave Hitler leadership of the Nazi Party.
One vote can change a nation or even change the world. One vote can indeed make a difference. History has taught this.
In 2000, the presidential election was decided by 537 votes. Of the 186 million people who were U. S. citizens eligible to vote, 130 million were registered to vote. 111 million of the registered voters actually voted. That’s 19 million registered voters who didn’t vote. And another 56 million people eligible to vote who never registered. 21% of the registered non-voters said their reason for not voting was they were “too busy.” (U.S. Census Bureau)
People who don’t vote give up a chance to make a difference.
The core of American democracy is the right to vote. My vote is my voice. And I am duly aware that as a woman, the right to vote did not always belong to my grandmother. August 26, 2004 marked the 84th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution giving women the right to vote. I do take that voting right quite seriously. I honor this right as both my civic duty and a privilege.
A democracy is only as strong as its citizens’ participation in it. I believe that democracy in America needs the voice of each citizen. Without the voice of every citizen, a democracy will create a governing body that is not fully representative of the citizenry. Our voice, our votes make the American political system function effectively.
The Declaration of Independence speaks of a government that is established by its citizens. Of a government that is given its “just powers from the consent of the governed.” Consent that is given through the votes of its citizens.
If you are a citizen of the United States and eighteen or older, you have the right to vote in local, state and national elections. And all who want to vote can take the time to vote. In Texas, citizens have voter leave rights which mean employers must give employees the privilege of attending the polls without penalty. Consequently, no deductions may be made from the wages of an employee who takes time off to vote. There is an employer penalty up to $500 for violation of this law. (However, if polls are open for voting for two consecutive hours outside of the voter’s working hours, time off to vote doesn’t have to be provided.)
We are unified as citizens by our right to vote. Voting provides us the opportunity to agree to disagree and respect each other’s differing opinions. At the end of the day, we set aside our differences and are grateful we had the privilege of participating in a democracy. At least I know I am grateful for such a privilege. And my love for American democracy is far greater than my opinion on who should lead this great country.
Mary Baker Eddy, a 19th century best-selling American author, founder of a Pulitzer-prize winning newspaper, and creator of a spirituality and healing movement that continues worldwide today, never enjoyed the right to vote in this country. Even without that precious right to vote, she offered some extempore remarks one July fourth that included the following:
The Pilgrims came to establish a nation in true freedom, in the rights of conscience. But what of ourselves, and our times and obligations? Are we duly aware of our own great opportunities and responsibilities? Are we prepared to meet and improve them, to act up to the acme of divine energy wherewith we are armored? (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896)
Voting in America is no longer restricted by race or sex. Let’s exercise this freedom. We are the future of our country. Voting gives you an important voice in determining your own future by electing officials who reflect your views and speak for you in legislative actions. These are our times. Our opportunities. Make sure your voice is heard on Election Day. Your vote can change the world.
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. © 2006. All rights reserved.
It was my first presidential election. And my candidate of choice lost the race.
I felt sad, mad—even dismayed that the majority of American citizens didn’t agree with me. I never imagined this outcome. In fact, I went to bed on Election Day with the conviction that my candidate was clearly superior. But many others disagreed with my viewpoint. They were wrong, I thought. And now the country is going to suffer for the mistaken views of the majority.
How do you feel when the candidate you voted for doesn’t win? How can you deal with your disappointment, anger and fear?
I’ve come to believe that voting provides us the opportunity to agree to disagree and respect each other’s differing opinions. However, patriotism and respect for the democratic process weren’t enough to help me deal with my post-election emotions, especially when my candidate lost. I found only prayer-filled conviction took me to a more centered place and gave me peace of mind. This conviction also showed me what next steps I could take to support social progress.
Divinely given rights are established for all.
My prayers affirmed there is a divine Power higher than the presidency—a Commander-in-Chief for humankind. This overarching Spirit has created a universe that runs on spiritual laws maintaining order and peace. These laws mandate that divinely given rights are established for all.
Mary Baker Eddy, the author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the book that inspires this Web site, wrote these words during the Spanish-American War: “Pray that the divine presence may still guide and bless our chief magistrate, those associated with his executive trust, and our national judiciary; give to our congress wisdom, and uphold our nation with the right arm of His righteousness.”
As I read these words again recently, I am finding this prayer as relevant today as it was in 1898. I’ve been praying about Election Day in the US this year—both before and after the fact.
Oct 13, 2006 |
by Annette Bridges. ©2006. All rights reserved.
“You have your daddy’s temper,” I was told growing up. After my dad passed on when I was 10 years old, I remember my mom saying, “I think he spent most of his life mad about something.”
I didn’t want to get angry so easily, but for years I couldn’t help myself. A sociologist might say I was trapped in a cycle of temper and abuse—a behavior learned from my family environment. I recall many a time when I screamed such horrible words I would be filled with regret afterwards. I also slammed doors, stormed off, or threw whatever was in my reach. Again and again after such uncontrollable outbursts, I felt sorry and ashamed.
Those words, “You have your daddy’s temper,” replayed in my head every time I got mad. I had accepted those five words as part of my identity. And because of this, I felt I had an excuse for my uncontrollable temper.
I became aware of how spirituality shapes my life.
Around the same time as my dad’s passing, I was introduced to the Christian Science Weekly Bible Lesson that led me to find the book, Science and Health. (You can find the Internet version of the lesson on this Web site. See link below.) Over the course of the next 30 years, I became aware of how spirituality shapes my life. Studying and pondering spiritual ideas slowly transformed my self-concept. I gained an improved understanding of my heritage and parentage. I learned of the infinite power of God. And I learned I could turn to God for help with any situation.
I no longer felt helpless, fearful or hopeless when confronted with challenges. I gained confidence in spiritual answers and developed an expectancy of positive, healing results.
But with all I was learning, with all I had overcome and witnessed, I still couldn’t control my temper. Although the abusive nature of my angry outbursts did diminish over these years, it still plagued me occasionally. Actually, I think I was still accepting temper as a response in which I had no choice. There were other feelings that also fueled my temper—feelings of aggravation, impatience and frustration.
I didn’t want to be a willful person.
Not long ago, a friend gave me a definition of frustration that has stayed with me. She defined frustration as, “unsatisfied self-will.” Since there were many things causing me frustration (or so I thought), it was disturbing to think I was perhaps being willful. I felt justified when my anger was a result of being frustrated by the behavior of someone else. The idea of being willful was putting responsibility on my own shoulders. I didn’t want to be a willful person. My love for God was such that I truly wanted to follow His will and not my own.
I found in my study of Science and Health that Mary Baker Eddy warns of the misleading human will. I began to wonder if my view of people or perception of situations as frustrating and annoying was confusing my ability to behave appropriately.
Eddy speaks of freedom of choice in how we think and act, and instructs us how to make decisions that lead to good results. She reminds us we have responsibility for our thoughts and actions. And she helps us see how our thoughts determine our actions. I love, in Science and Health, her analogy about a sculptor. Eddy writes, “The sculptor turns from the marble to his model in order to perfect his conception. We are all sculptors, working at various forms, moulding and chiseling thought. What is the model before mortal mind? Is it imperfection, joy, sorrow, sin, suffering? Have you accepted the mortal model? Are you reproducing it
I had to choose a new model.
Well, yes! I had certainly accepted a model of abusive and uncontrollable temper for myself and was reproducing it again and again in my life.
In recent years, I have become determined to take responsibility for my thoughts and actions and no longer allow uncontrollable outbursts or reactions to disrupt the harmony of my life and those around me. To do this, I had to choose a new model—the woman God created. One who is poised, full of grace, patient, composed, just, gentle and loving. And I’ve been pretty successful, for the first time in my life, at controlling my temper. Sound too easy?
Honestly, it’s been easier than I imagined it could be or thought possible. It has required pausing before every action for a prayerful examination of thoughts and motives. It’s been amazing to see the powerful effect of these momentary prayers. I can’t say that I never forget to take these prayerful pauses and never ever get angry about anything. But I can’t even remember when I lost my temper in an uncontrollable rage. In fact, it truly feels impossible for that to happen now.
The cycle of abusive temper has been broken.
Asking God for direction on every thought and action doesn’t require a lot of time. In fact, the answer comes as quickly as I pause.
My husband, John, and I just celebrated our 23rd anniversary. And I don’t think that would have happened if I had not chosen a new model of behavior for my life. In the early years of our marriage, it would not have been unusual for me to completely and irrationally lose my temper, often throwing something or being quite abusive in my speech. And back then, it didn’t take much to make me mad. Now those days are truly gone. It’s actually really difficult for me to even feel uncontrollable anger. And if I am confronted with a hint of those feelings, a “prayer pause” gets my thoughts clearly and accurately focused on the issue at hand and a temper fit is never the appropriate response.
Speaking about this with a friend, John said, “Annette has truly taken control of her temper. Her lack of control in our early years of marriage is gone. I believe her change came as a result of realizing the damaging effects of her actions. Also, in motherhood she saw the need to raise our child in a calm atmosphere, or else the negative would perpetuate itself.” He also attributed my change to what he refers to as a “fresh commitment to the study of Science and Health.”
The cycle of abusive temper has been broken. It has become easier and easier to make the right and appropriate choices of behavior. God doesn’t leave us at the mercy of evil to confuse and misguide us in our behavior and actions. God is always with us at every moment to guide us down the right path.
