Election

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Yesterday was the big election day.  My wife and I went and voted after we
got home from work.  One of the things I do like about elections these days
is the hours the polls are open.  7AM to 8PM makes it hard not to be able
to find a time to go.

But, that’s about all I liked about this election.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy to live in a place where I am allowed
to vote for who represents me in government.
I just don’t like the bickering that fills my TV, radio, internet and phone
for the month or more leading up to the election.

Every election I find myself going back and reading George
Washington’s farewell address.

He was very much against party politics that were just starting up when he
was in office.  And, he was pretty stern in warning what would happen to
people if they followed political parties:

“It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public
administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and
false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments
occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence
and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself
through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one
country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

Right on, George.