Raise your voice and voteA struggling economy, high unemployment, a Congress

interested in petty political victories, a president running for re-election in a time marred by nasty and personal attacks. Regardless of party, the signature behavior of our time is measured by political blood spilled rather than rolling up sleeves and getting to the job of serving the people.

Most citizens feel powerless — more akin to throwing a single rock in a torrent river and hoping to change its course. As America’s shoulders sag at the prospect of another presi-dential election cycle, our industry must engage, model the behavior we wish to see in others, and vote.

Voter turnout is a national embarrassmentIt is shameful that America takes her right to vote so

carelessly. Out of the nearly 207 million people eligible to vote, most take a pass on casting a ballot. Those who complain about core rights being eroded or bad policies being enacted can point the finger at the one in four who don’t bother to register, and the 50 percent who don’t even vote during most elections.

Added to apathy, states across the country are enacting an array of new laws and policies to make it harder to vote. These range from a requirement to show a government-issued ID (one in ten do not have this), cutbacks on early voting, and registration restrictions. These could result in fewer people voting in 2012 than did in 2008.

Solving problems, not parsing out partisanshipIt is compulsory in my family that we watch the

conventions by the Republican and Democratic parties. Unfortunately, these events have changed dramatically in the last two decades.

Conventions used to be where ideas were debated, young and emerging leaders were introduced to the nation, and promises of a better tomorrow and a new direction was a standard. What we see now is no more than a contorted circus mirror of ourselves, a heavily scripted and focus-group-driven infomercial. Both parties vilify the other, and so con-tinues the de-evolution of our institutions.

The fall began in the early 1990s with a 24 hour/7 day news cycle, leading to a descent to the lowest common denominator. It is sad when the tooth fairy has more politi-cal currency than doing the right thing and solving the deep national problems we face.

The importance and vitriol of presidential electionsOur nation has a history of elections that are transfor-

mational and nasty. Big issues such as banking (1832), tariffs (1888), slavery (1860), and coping with an economic crisis (1932 and 2012) are no strangers to nasty, bitter campaigns.

The first real presidential election pitted Vice President John Adams versus former George Washington cabinet member Thomas Jefferson in 1796. One of the nastiest elections, from beginning to the end, was President John Quincy Adams seeking re-election against Andrew Jackson in 1828.

Mirroring today’s economic climate, 1932 pitted President Herbert Hoover versus two-term New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Each of these races is a lesson of America’s resolve and a reminder that the nation faces a winner-takes-all scenario every four years. That is why it is important to have a legiti-mate debate over this president’s policies and actions, his successes and failures.

Expecting more of ourselvesAs an industry we must challenge ourselves

to expect more out of our elected officials. That starts by creating a reputation of being solution- and issue-oriented and demanding that elected officials work across the party aisle.

Our association just finished our political action endorsement process and we were equal between the GOP and Democrats; we supported candidates who are open to solutions.

The nursery industry must demand that political rancor take a back seat. Officials who do nothing but stonewall against solutions should be shown the door. If we don’t hold elected officials to this standard, who will?

The right to vote is a solemn responsibility. The only person who can take away your right to vote … is you. If we do not make good choices, the line between necessary poli-cies and political expediency becomes blurred. Our nation, state and neighborhood needs for us to weed this political garden, plant new ideas, and irrigate responsibility. Get in the game and VOTE.

▲ DIRECTOR’S DESK

By Jeff StoneOAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

46 OCTOBER 2012 ▲ DIGGER