July 18 is

an election day. It is the beginning of an election

season that will culminate in November with the election

of our next president. Countless generations have looked

upon the election process with varying degrees of

reverence and import.

During times of war, we

look for the candidate who is most capable of resolving

the conflict favorably for the U.S. with the fewest

American casualties. During times of economic crisis, we

look for the candidate who is most capable of stimulating

our economy in ways that will create jobs, build wealth

and reduce debt. During times of internal civil unrest,

we look for the candidate who is most capable of

enveloping the American citizenry in the cloak of

"We hold these truths to be self evident...."

We look for the candidates

who inspire us to greatness, who are informed and have a

love of country. We look to those who look to us

and promise to represent us truthfully, respectfully and

honorably.

Throughout our history, we

have faced as a nation issues and eras which have brought

us to our knees in humility and to our feet in

exultation. We've seen "the best of times and the

worst of times." Throughout, we were a passionate

people, a moral people - never a complacent people.

Now it seems, the best of

times are the worst of times. We are at the same time

rich and poor. We are successful failures. We sit in the

lap of luxury and the seat of despair. What we need is a

reckoning with ourselves. If most people no longer trust

our government, we need to ask ourselves why and mobilize

ourselves for change.

Two weeks ago, the U.S.

Supreme Court held that a Nebraska law banning partial

birth abortion, or D&X (dilation and extraction),

presented an "undue burden" on women seeking

abortions. I'll spare you a description of the procedure

because those of you who know what is entailed already

bear spiritual wounds from the knowing. Those of you who

don't - well, it's up to you to involve yourself or

not. The fact is that slightly over half of Americans

believe abortion is wrong except in cases where the

mother's life is in danger. Many of those who approve of

abortion disapprove of the partial birth procedure, which

legally could be performed at any time during the

pregnancy.

What do we do when the U.S.

Supreme Court "interprets" the law in a manner

that most citizens consider to be unconstitutional? We

vote. We organize, we protest, we lobby, we align

ourselves with campaigns and candidates who reflect our

views, but first and foremost - we vote.

Twice the U.S. Congress has

passed a law to ban partial birth abortion and twice

President Clinton has vetoed the bill. Twice the U.S.

House of Representatives has overridden that veto, and

twice the U.S. Senate has failed to come up with the

necessary two thirds vote - by three votes. Paul

Coverdell voted to override Clinton's veto. Max Cleland

voted to uphold partial birth abortion.

Now the U. S. House of

Representatives is trying a third time. We won't get the

chance this time, but next time Cleland's name appears on

a ballot, we can vote him out.

Within two years, census

figures will be used to reapportion congressional and

state legislative seats. For the first time ever, Georgia

could become a Republican majority state. Vote. Put the

right candidates in the statehouse now to fight for fair

districting.

Check voting records of

incumbents. Ask local commissioners and school board

members how prior statehouse voting has affected their

local endeavors. Find out who represented Fayette and who

failed us.

According to the Center for

Voting and Democracy, 95.8 million Americans voted in the

November 1996 presidential election - less than half

of the eligible electorate. In the 1998 congressional

elections, 36.4 percent of eligible American voters

participated. Of a list of 23 industrialized nations,

Americans were dead last in voter turnout for

congressional elections and next to last in turnout for

presidential elections, according to the latest voting

records.

Imagine that your son or

daughter, husband or father was one of those patriots who

lay mangled on a battlefield during the revolution to

purchase with blood your right to vote. Choose your

issues, find your candidates, work if you can, but vote .

Consider that the next

elected president will appoint three, maybe more, U.S.

Supreme Court justices. Roe vs. Wade will be revisited by

the court that will be configured by our next president.

Global government vs. national sovereignty will begin to

be addressed by our next president.

If you think we have

something here worth fighting for, then get down off that

fence. Teach your children what democracy means. Tell

them that voting is a right, a privilege, an honor, and a

responsibility. Show them - take them with you to

the polls.

If you don't think any of

this matters, then do nothing. That's the thing about

complacency - you just do nothing.

[Your comments are

welcome at: [email protected] .