Today, hundreds of thousands of people will hit the “like” button on cute kittens, cute puppies and cute babies.
They will take pictures of their lunch and share it with others. They will send out tweets about the #Royals or the #Cardinals. Keyboard and smartphone strokes will decide online voting contests, fuel the fire for political and personal platforms and endorse any number of causes.
Yet, getting voters to take 30 minutes out of their day to “like” an issue or a candidate is becoming more and more difficult. Elections are being decided by a handful, rather than by the masses.
It’s a sad commentary when we start losing sight of the truly important things in life — such as how our county and state tax dollars are put to use.
The Tuesday primary election will decide a number of key races. In Jasper and Newton counties, almost all of the races are on the Republican primary ballot. The exception is in Jasper County, where the winner of the three-way GOP race for sheriff will face a candidate on the Libertarian ballot in November.
There also are contests — all Republican — for some state representative and senate posts from the region. Voters also will be choosing party nominees who will square off in November in contests for U.S. Senate, Congress, Missouri governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer. Kansas voters will be deciding county races for sheriff, county commission, county attorney, county clerk, county treasurer and registrar of deeds, plus races for state Senate and House Representatives, along with U.S. Congress.
If you don’t take the opportunity to vote on Tuesday, then essentially you have lost your voice in saying who the decision-makers should be.
Marking a ballot isn’t as convenient or as quick as some of the other decisions we make in this technological age. Perhaps someday, it will be.
Until then, we urge you to make your opinion count at the polls.
Opinion
Our View: ‘Like’ your way to the polls
- Opinion
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Our View: Safer schools
Being able to see for ourselves what would have happened to our children had they been standing in the main hall of their schools during the May 22, 2011, tornado had a profound effect on our understanding of safe schools.
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Marilyn Beasley, guest columnist: Claiming responsibility for abuse of power
Over the past few months we’ve witnessed the abuse of power by President Barack Obama and his administration.
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Our View: ‘Why?’ has no answer
Just hours before, there was breakfast and laughter. There were pictures on the walls and memories in every room.
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Our View: Absent from House
We can’t figure out why two Missouri legislators think they should be elected to the U.S. House when it appears they can’t seem to show up to take care of business in the Missouri House.
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Your View: Terrorism is terrorism
In the May 13 issue of The Joplin Globe there was an Associated Press article concerning the New Orleans shooting.
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Your View: Terrible injustice
I see this Jasper County nuisance law as a terrible injustice on the rights of the residents of Jasper County.
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Your View: Should we be outraged?
Were there effusive apologies following the lockdown of Boston as most of the continent indulged vicariously in the ongoing manhunt?
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Phill Brooks, columnist: Missouri Senate did what Founding Fathers had in mind
George Washington once described the Senate as being like a saucer in which you pour coffee or tea.
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Other Views: Conflicts in SEC
Money talks. In the continuing dispute over the all-too-cozy relationship between the people who create and sell financial products and the people who rate their risk, the money says: Shut up and let us do what we want.
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Our View: Fixing failure
Some 1,200 injured workers will finally get the payments they are owed. In its final week in session, Missouri’s General Assembly, through bipartisan efforts, passed a solution to address the insolvency of the state’s Second Injury Fund.
- More Opinion Headlines
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