Letter to the Editor
Benjamin Franklin, when asked what the Constitutional Convention had produced, said “a republic, if you can keep it.”
Each generation of United States citizens since then has been challenged to keep and strengthen our republic in the face of wars, economic pressures, natural disasters, political turmoil and unexpected events.
Our challenges to keep our republic today are complex and global. Each citizen has a right and a responsibility to help meet these challenges by voting.
The responsibility to vote includes taking positive steps to be informed on the issues confronting our elected officials. This means taking time to examine the facts about each candidate on the ballot. It means fact checking on candidates positions on key issues, details of their proposed policies and how they respond to their critics.
It is discouraging to learn that 90 million potential voters have indicated that they do not intend to vote in this vital national election. As citizens who care about the future of our nation, we should use every opportunity to encourage our friends and neighbors to vote.
Do not be influenced by TV ads, make your decision based on your own understanding of each candidate’s qualifications and actual position on those issues which of critical concern to you and your family.
FREDERICK H. BRIGHAM, Jr.
Southern Avenue, Essex
