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A little after lunch on Monday, the trending topics on Twitter were quite clear about what today is.
#healthcare.
Lee Greenwood.
#Chattanooga.
#TelethonforAmerica.
And of course #ElectionDay.
(The names of a couple of candidates were also there, but the TFP wisely has a radio-silence policy on Election Day. So we'll let you guess who was mentioned.)
Jay GreesonWhile I concur with David Cook, who eloquently wrote in this space Sunday about the hatred and divide that can be perpetrated on social media, the Twitter uniformity before today's voting day was telling.
What's even more telling is that people - in this day and age of unrest - still are not voting.
Yes, I've written about this before. Yes, I shared my story of voting early just last week.
But for the 10, 20 or 40 minutes it takes to get through the line at the polls and to fill in those ovals next to your choice of candidate - say that again, your choice - how spoiled are we that we take that right for granted to the point that "American Idol" could get more votes from Tennesseans this year than today's elections?
How telling is it that the divides among us - Twitter-fueled or not - are the only way to get people motivated to get to the polls?
For too long we have been passive consumers of politics, more entertained by the antics and outrage than interested in the policy and process. Yelling about this candidate or that policy in all caps on Twitter and Facebook apparently takes less time and thought than making sure our voices are really heard - by those politicians who, don't forget, work for us.
It's not lost on me that this newspaper is running an awesome series on veterans this week, leading up to Veterans Day on Sunday.
Think of the number of people who died for everyone's right to stand in line to vote. Think of the ultimate sacrifices paid for that freedom. If we don't exercise that right, that is more disrespectful than any protest.
Friends, today is the day that the phrase "We, the people" has the most meaning.
So go. And take a friend. Or your parents.
When you are waiting in line, be patient, be kind. Make small talk. Heck, take a box of munchkins and make some friends.
It doesn't matter how you vote; what matters is that you vote.
The rest is rhetoric. Or hate-filled commercials and the overflow of mailbox-stuffed fliers.
No matter your story or your side of the aisle, the fact that we are at least participating in politics may be the best ripple effect of the angry political discourse of the moment.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6343.