LETTERS: VOTING IS A PRIZED PRIVILEGE

To the editor:

One occasionally hears complaints about the cost and inequity of our political process for election of our government officials.

Yes, some candidates are eager to toss their hats into the ring with possible strategies to convince the voting public that they are the best qualified to serve the needs of a deserving public. They may even finance much of their own campaigns, and if fraud raises its ugly head, there are means through which the problem can be rectified.

I lived for a score of years in countries in which elections were always held on a Sunday, but that did not serve to make those elections more honest or religious. It was assumed that a person would have more free time in which to vote on Sunday since it was not a workday.

In a democracy, a person should take more time to study the issues and the candidates in order to reach an honest opinion and an intelligent decision before casting the ballot.

We may not agree with the views or ideas of a candidate. We have the franchise and we can express our disapproval. We can admit that the system is not perfect, but we can strive to make it more so. Let us hope voters as well as the candidates will have high regard for this right as a hard-won privilege, which it is. The ballot is a prized possession.

IVAN NOTHDURFT

Cape Girardeau