Casting the Vote

William E. ("Bill") Vaughan (October 8, 1915 – February 25, 1977) was an American columnist and author. Born in Saint Louis, Missouri, he wrote a syndicated column for the Kansas City Star from 1946 until his death in 1977. Perhaps best known for his folksy wit, his quotations can easily be found in book collections and on Internet sites. He died at age 61 of lung cancer.


Here's one of his quotes, "A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election." I remember that many of my generation, disillusioned by Viet Nam and Watergate, just quit voting, hence, I'm guessing, this quote.


I don't know, but it seems to me times have changed in terms of people getting excited about the coming election and desiring to vote. Granted, part of that is the ongoing partisan bickering that has replaced substantive conversation about issues, but there also just seems to be more of a desire to participate... to make a difference by voting.


I've read that there are millions of new registered voters, many of them young. Perhaps having candidates who are post baby boomer (Palin and Obama) has contributed to that interest. Or, maybe the younger generation is just engaging the process.