If you awakened this morning to news that the candidate you wanted didn't win and you failed to vote, then you shouldn't have anything to say.
According to election sources, there were only 48,848 votes cast out of 232,752 eligible voters in Hamilton County. Half of those votes were cast by mail and during early voting.
This alone is an indictment against the eligible voters of Hamilton County, who evidently did not care or think it necessary to vote.
Democracy does work! But it requires the active participation of citizens at the poll.
The casting of one's ballot is the most powerful participation that is constitutionally afforded to eligible citizens. But when there is a failure on the part of citizens to exercise this right, it also renders citizens void of power, as well as the lack of a voice in who serves in leadership.
So, if you are not pleased with the outcome of the election, then you may want to turn your displeasure to the 183,904 eligible, non-voting citizens of Hamilton.
This includes you. If you were among the non-voters.
Now all that can be done is learn the lesson of voter apathy and vow to do better.
But for now, "it is what it is." Therefore, we must pull together and do our part in building and maintaining a viable and harmonious city and county, where citizens can with great pride call home.
Dr. Jean Howard-Hill
Former UTC Outstanding Professor of the Year 2006, UTC, Political Science Department