If you don't like the system, change it

To the Editor:

Recently, on May 27, 2008, an article appeared in The Kings County Advertiser regarding apathy in voter turnout and people's rights to complain about how issues are handled in government - especially if they didn't vote.

The way I see it, some people will vote and some will not. Those that tend not to vote usually do so because they feel their vote just wouldn't change anything anyway.

Perhaps they sense government is too corrupt; that those involved are doing so only to advance their own agendas or those of their friends. Although we know this may be an incorrect notion, how do we get people involved even at the level of community-based decisions? What would it take to make someone become less apathetic and begin to get involved?

There’s an old saying: "If you don't like what you see, then change it."

Usually all it takes is one small issue that someone holds near to their hearts and perceives it as being dealt with in an inappropriate manner by our government. That's all.

They may begin to speak up on that one issue, then they'll soon discover there are many more areas of concern that stimulate their interest and motivate subsequent action.

We would probably agree that's a good thing because the person is starting to care about the world around them and not just their own. So why is it a bad thing that a nominee, for municipal elections, be considered a "one-issue candidate"?

All too often, candidates promise virtually everything and deliver on nothing. I could argue that if an elected leader, right from the moment of taking office, took a firm stand on doing the right thing on one issue and, no matter what occurred during that person’s term in office, always stuck to and never wavered from that one belief or action, think how much our government - local or otherwise - could actually accomplish!

Imagine if we all did this - just stuck to our principles on one good and important thing - what our children would begin to think of us? What they would think of our government leaders? What they would think of the future of humanity? Imagine it.

Yes, we should all try to vote for a good person. But hold them accountable for their actions and if you don't like what they are doing, change it.

Marilyn Cameron

Greenwich