Editorial: Informed voting and the April 7 Election
In last week’s issue of the Advertiser, I printed a Letter to the Editor from a concerned citizen pertaining to the April 7 General Election, specifically the Cassville School Board member race. In less than a week since then, I’ve received numerous letters and phone calls, both in agreement and in opposition, to the letter concerned with number of district parents on the Cassville School Board. This has been the best response to any issue in the Advertiser since I’ve been the editor, not only in terms of the quantity of responses from other citizens, but also in terms of the quality of the responses and thoughtfulness behind their opinions.
While there is no way I could publish every letter because of the sheer volume sent it, I did want to share a few of my personal thoughts about what I’ve read from citizens of the district where my children also attend school, and therefore where I have a vested interest in the outcome, as well.
The fact that so many people took the time to read the letter last week, think about it, and then share their opinions, as well, is something that everyone in this community should be proud of. Whether you agree or disagree with the perspective of the parent who wrote in, be proud that our community is full of parents, teachers, staff and citizens who are genuinely concerned with the education that the children in our community receive and who is on the board to represent those interests. We live in a world that seems to breed apathy at times, but the community’s voice shows that isn’t the case here at home.
Since I was unable to publish all of the letters I received, and I assure you, all of them were extremely intelligent, well-thought out, and shared valid points, I opted to print the response letter by Greg Allen, a current Cassville School Board member. In this case, I feel that a school board member would be a differing perspective from what was already stated last week and an interesting rebuttal to some of the points made.
Regardless of how you feel about the candidates running for the various school boards, city councils, and so on, the important element to remember is to research, think and show up to vote. Get involved in your community through attending school board and city council meetings. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the candidates running and ask them questions.
An educated voter is a valued voter at the polls, no matter what side of an issue they stand on. If the letters received this week are any indication, many voters in our county are just that.
-Charlea Mills, editor
While there is no way I could publish every letter because of the sheer volume sent it, I did want to share a few of my personal thoughts about what I’ve read from citizens of the district where my children also attend school, and therefore where I have a vested interest in the outcome, as well.
The fact that so many people took the time to read the letter last week, think about it, and then share their opinions, as well, is something that everyone in this community should be proud of. Whether you agree or disagree with the perspective of the parent who wrote in, be proud that our community is full of parents, teachers, staff and citizens who are genuinely concerned with the education that the children in our community receive and who is on the board to represent those interests. We live in a world that seems to breed apathy at times, but the community’s voice shows that isn’t the case here at home.
Since I was unable to publish all of the letters I received, and I assure you, all of them were extremely intelligent, well-thought out, and shared valid points, I opted to print the response letter by Greg Allen, a current Cassville School Board member. In this case, I feel that a school board member would be a differing perspective from what was already stated last week and an interesting rebuttal to some of the points made.
Regardless of how you feel about the candidates running for the various school boards, city councils, and so on, the important element to remember is to research, think and show up to vote. Get involved in your community through attending school board and city council meetings. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the candidates running and ask them questions.
An educated voter is a valued voter at the polls, no matter what side of an issue they stand on. If the letters received this week are any indication, many voters in our county are just that.
-Charlea Mills, editor