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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
6
November 1, 2012
It is the sound of a tradition
throughout the area during the
holiday season.
While it many not seempossible
that the Christmas holidays are
near, next week the ringing of the
bells at The Salvation Army Red
Kettle campaign will begin. While
the family traditions, the decorat-
ing, cooking, shopping and gift
wrapping all mark the season, the
sound of these bells reminds each
of us that nomatter what our situa-
tion, there are those who need our
help. It's a gentle, non-intrusive
way to allow each of us to give a lit-
tle tohelp a lot.
The campaign will begin next
Friday, Nov. 9 and the Plymouth
Corps of the Salvation Army has
partnered with several local busi-
nesses to provide opportunities for
community members to be
involved, whether ringing a bell,
donating space in front of a busi-
ness or dropping some coins or
bills into a kettle.
Funds collected during the Red
Kettle Campaign, which is the
largest fundraiser of The Salvation
Army, help provide vital services to
neighbors in need throughout
Plymouth and the surrounding
cities and communities for the
entire year. The goal for the entire
region this year is $8.5 million----a
lot of money which will provide a
lot ofmuchneededhelp.
The charity offers a number of
ways to help. For a $125 contribu-
tion, local businesses and organiza-
tions can sponsor a red kettle. The
kettle will display a sign letting
donors know the kettle was spon-
sored by the business or individ-
ual.
Businesses can also adopt a ket-
tle and staff it exclusively through-
out the season with their own vol-
Where are all these “undecided”
voters hiding?
I suspect they are sort of like
Bigfoot, there are sighting and lots
of rumors, but nobody seems able
to actually prove their existence. It
seems that these folks are all I hear
about, but I sure can't figure out
who orwhere they are.
They are the reason, all the polit-
ical commentators agree, for much
of the campaign hoopla and many
of the adopted policies of the candi-
dates----all posturing to convince
these undecideds to vote for them.
But I sure can't find any, much less
a large enough contingent of them
to make the Herculean efforts of
both Presidential candidates
worthwhile.
Come on, undecided, really?
After the past two years of cam-
paign promises and statements? I
think there is a misunderstanding
on the part of these political
“experts” looking to sway this mass
of undecided voters.
Because, let's face it, these days,
everybody is a political expert.
Everybody. Seriously, I have
heard more discussion, comment,
criticism, analysis and rationaliza-
tion of political statements andpoli-
cies than ever before in any elec-
tion. Everyone wants to discuss
what is going on and very few peo-
ple are shy about expressing their
preference or distaste for one of the
candidates.
I've never in my life seen so
many people reach such a level of
political
expertise
and
Constitutional scholarship in such a
short amount of time. All of a sud-
den, the guy at the gas stationwants
to talk foreign policy with me. He
has a lot of thoughts about the best
way to handle Pakistan right now
and he's also got what he considers
a terrific idea about oil drilling in
national parks.
The clerk at the dollar store is
another newly hatched policy
expert. She can tell you exactly
what is going on with the new vot-
ing laws and the real motivation
behind the requirement for identi-
fication. She's got a dandy solution
to insure people vote, too. She says
if people don't vote in two consecu-
tive elections, they should lose their
driver's license. Hey, don't call or
emailme, it's her idea.
Another swell idea came from
the owner of one of my favorite
lunch spots. He's absolutely got the
solution to the unemployment of
returning veterans. His idea is to
put them all to work rebuilding
New Orleans from Hurricane
Katrina because nobody but Brad
Pitt has actually done squat down
there yet, despitewhat we're told.
My hairdresser also has some
great ideas about Social Security
and Medicare and Congress. She
really makes sense to me. Now that
could be because has a pair of scis-
sors at my ear while explaining her
plan, whichwould frighten anybody
into agreement, but still.
Her idea is that Congress mem-
bers get no special pensions or
health plans but that money goes
into the Social Security and
Medicare plans and that's what
these elected officials get, just like
the rest of us.
Once again, her idea.
And every celebrity seems to
have an opinion or an endorse-
ment. Some actually make sense
and others, well, let's just consider
Donald Trump for a moment. If
there ever was a strong argument
that financial success is basedmore
on luck than brains, The Donald is
it. His latest self-aggrandizing luna-
cy is even embarrassing the
Republicans.
But Warren Buffett makes sense.
He says the
economy
is
going to recover,
slowly, no mat-
ter who gets elected. It will be
Romney's recovery or Obama's
recovery, but it will recover no mat-
terwhich of themgets elected.
What concerns me is that all
these “undecided” voters don't
seem concerned about individual
freedoms and personal liberties
that the next president could influ-
ence with his choices for the
Supreme Court. That's the key issue
for me, and many others, in this
election.
Let's hope all the decideds and
all those mystery undecideds go
voteTuesday.
It's time tomake a decision.
Actually, several decisions. Decisions that will change the
lives and circumstances of our country, our state, our courts,
our local communities and our schools. Those decisions
should be made before stepping into voting booths through-
out the area next Tuesday, but should be made, no matter
how long it may take, how inconvenient going to the polls
might be or howdifficult the choices.
Voting, we are often reminded, is our civic responsibility.
It is a privilege others fight and die for, we are told. It is the
very core of our form of government, one that is envied
around the globe. If we don't exercise this privilege, we abdi-
cate the very foundation of our country.
We've all heard it before, these cogent and often soaring
orations attempting to inspire us to vote. We've been subject-
ed to guilt trips and reminded of the number of American
young people who have fought and died so that we can con-
tinue to enjoy our voting privileges. We've been reminded of
those who lost their lives as they fought to preserve our way
of life and our government and all we are asked to do it go to
the polls andmark a ballot.
And every one of these argumentswas absolutely right.
Tuesday is our chance to be a part of the decision making
in our country. This is our one and only chance, for the next
four years, to have some input into the direction our country
will take in relation to other nations, to personal freedoms, to
individual rights and to future decisions about the rules of
law that govern our land.
These are the areas in which our President will actually
be of great significance in setting the tone, establishing the
philosophy and be of some influence. One of the most impor-
tant issues, largely ignored by both the current candidates, is
the possible vacancy on the Supreme Court. Any new justice
appointed by our President will be a major factor in the
future of our country. Decisions regarding legality of law at
that level affect every citizen eventually and are the most
important decisions ever made by any leader of this free
world.
The state judicial races, which often fall in the shadow of
thePresidential election, are of equal importance to our lives
and the candidates should be carefully evaluated by voters.
The League of Women Voters offers a guide for voters avail-
able on the website which encapsulates the qualifications
and experience of candidates. While the candidates are
rated as to their ability to serve, this is a non-partisan group
that has proven even-handed and educational.
At the local level, the League of Women Voters also offers
evaluations of candidates for municipal and school offices.
These, too, are of crucial importance in this area. In
Plymouth Township, for instance, the continued existence of
professional firefighters will be in the hands of those elected
to the board of trustees.
Every one of the proposals, offices and candidates on this
long and complicated ballot is of importance to our local
area, our schools, our state and our nation. This is no time to
stay home because of expected crowds, because we are too
busy, because of theweather.
This is the time to act as a responsible adult who takes the
privilege of voting and of living in a free country seriously
andmakes voting their toppriority onNov. 6.
Nothing should bemore important than doing your part to
determine the future of our country, our state and your com-
munity.
Make plans now to be at the polls Nov. 6. Your vote is the
price you pay for the liberty you enjoy. Don't shortchange
yourself.
Bells will
ring in the
season
She says if people don't vote
in two consecutive elections,
they should lose their driver's license.
”
Tuesday is our chance
to be a part of the decision
making in our country.
”
Undecided? It just doesn’t seem possible
Decisions about future to be made Tuesday
See
Bells,
page 7
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