Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Old-timers

Carl Reiner:

In my ninety-six-and-a-half years, I’ve seen a lot of things. But the one thing I cannot bear to see is America being destroyed by racism, fear-mongering, and lies. Fortunately, there is something we can do about that. On November sixth, we can vote for elected officials who will hold this president accountable. And after we’ve done that, my personal goal will be to stick around until 2020 and vote to make sure we have have a decent, moral, law-abiding citizen in Washington who will make us all proud again to live in America.
And Roger Angell, who’s ninety-eight:
What we can all do at this moment is vote — get up, brush our teeth, go to the polling place, and get in line. I was never in combat as a soldier, but now I am. Those of you who haven’t quite been getting to your polling place lately, who want better candidates or a clearer system of making yourself heard, or who just aren’t in the habit, need to get it done this time around. If you stay home, count yourself among the hundreds of thousands now being disenfranchised by the relentless parade of restrictions that Republicans everywhere are imposing and enforcing. If you don’t vote, they have won, and you are a captive, one of their prizes.

When you do go to vote on Tuesday, take a friend, a nephew, a neighbor, or a partner, and be patient when in line. Just up ahead of you, the old guy in a sailing cap, leaning on his cane and accompanied by his wife, is me, again not minding the wait, and again enthralled by the moment and its meaning.
Related posts
Roger Angell on Donald Trump
David Foster Wallace on voting

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