A basic right

Here it is Election Night and I’m doing what I do every Election Night – waiting for the returns to see what the voters have decided.

Lots of things in the news business are repeat stories. That’s why experience counts. Been there, done that, means that the hands aren’t shaking quite so much on the second tornado story as on the first. But there comes a point when you’ve done enough tornadoes and floods and plane crashes.

But I find that I never do enough elections.

Elections are living things – the heart of a democracy. Doesn’t matter whether the office is local or nation or whether the issues are major or minor.

The fact that people get to go to the polls and make changes in their government is a beautiful thing to behold. Early today, there was actually a line at my polling place. It was exciting – but also sad that I considered it so unusual.

But the fact that they could be there and that they were there is a right to be cherished.

-- Paul Harral, Editor of the Editorial Page

Comments

[Dwight]

While I agree with your sentiments I must point out that voting is not a right and is not mentioned as such directly in the Bill of Rights or the U.S. Constitution.