|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
From the Rabbi's Desk The Golden Rule? By the time this column reaches its readers there will remain only a few weeks before the presidential election. Without getting into partisan politics and debating the relative merits of the two candidates, I would like to share my experience of attending lectures on the development of the American political system. They were given on the Queen Mary II by Prof. Thomas Ferguson. He is a political historian at Harvard who has applied rigorous statistical analyses to election turnouts since the earliest days of the republic, and has concluded (Is it any surprise?) that elections follow the “golden rule”: those that have the gold, rule. He has also arrived at the conclusion that the reason for low voter turnout in recent presidential elections s that vast numbers of Americans believe they have no stake in the elections. They feel manipulated or disenfranchised by tricks that tip the balance in favor of the richest party. Although it is important to cast our ballots for the candidates we deem the best, what is more important is to become involved in the post-election political process, making our voices heard and letting the elected candidates know how we feel and think about major issues. Once again the key is to become involved in the ongoing democratic process. We must let City Hall, Albany and Washington know that they cannot escape our scrutiny and rest lazily in their cozy offices at leisure. Only when we know that our legislators listen can we have greater faith in the American political system. ~ Rabbi Harold Spivack Excerpted from the October 2004 bulletin (PDF)
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|||||
