An Editorial
We Have Nothing To Fear But.Apathy
By Terri Byrum - •"» ^ .
Special To The Post
The last time unemploy
ment was over 10 percent,
we were in a depression.
President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, upon taking
hold of the Administration,
told weary Americans that,
"We have nothing to fear
but fear itself.”
Today, “recession" is the
password, and we are
much less inclined to haye
faith in elected officials
than during the 1930s.
Though fear is with us to
day, there is a condition
much more prevalent and
dangerous known as
apathy.
Apathy, a noun, is de
fined as lack of interest in
things generally found ex
citing, interesting or mov
ing; indifference.
Bob Davis, Chairman of
the Mecklenburg County
Democratic Party, feels
that “apathy” can be best
defined in terms of the
electorate as a feeling of
hopelessness rather than
indifference. But the result
is the same. Large num
bers of citizens don’t vote.
Apathy never got a traf
fic light placed at a dan
gerous intersection or in
stituted a public school
breakfast program for un
derprivileged children.
Apathetic people don’t
elect their neighborhood
leaders to public office or
support candidates who
echo their beliefs.
On Tuesday, November
2, we will be asked to go to
the polls. All registered
voters - be they 18 or 88 -
have a responsibility to ex
ercise this privilege. Mem
bers of the black commun
ity, particularly should not
take for granted this right,
for it was not so long ago
that voter discrimination
against blacks was ram
pant in the South.
The Fifteenth Amend
ment to our Constitution
was adopted in March 1870
and states, “The right of
citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the
United States or by any
State on account of race,
color, or previous condition
_ of servitude.”
This provision was in
tended to prohibit voter
discrimination, but indivi
dual states read between
the letter of the law and
devised ingenious “prere
quisites” for registering.
Bob Davis
Democratic Party chrmn.
Governor Jim Hunt
...Speaks here Friday
This gerrymandering was
obviously directed towards
minorities and after much
battle-both in and out of
the courtroom-the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 was
enacted.
VOTING RIGHTS LAW
Basically the 1965 Voting
Rights law states, “No
qualifications or prerequi
sites to voting, or stand
ard, practice, or procedure,
shall be imposed or applied
by any state or political
subdivision to deny or
abridge the right of any
citizen of the United States
to vote on account of race
or color.”
Bobby Lowery, Presi
dent of Better Cleaning
Janitorial and Mainten
ance Service and who sits
on a number of local and
statewide boards and com
missions, says, “After all
the work that went on in the
60s securing voting rights,
we should never take this
privilege for granted."
This sentiment is echoed
by Zoel S. Hargrave Jr.,
who adds, “Voteless people
are hopeless people."
This Tuesday, we elect
candidates for U.S. House,
State Senate, State House
of Representatives, Meck
lenburg County Board of
Commissioners and Meek
Bobby Lowery
...Business leader
Phil Berry
...State House
lenburg County Sheriff, as
well as several non-parti
san positions. We are also
asked to adopt or defeat a
Mint Museum bond issue
and a district plan.
If you are a registered
voter, what is your reason
for not voting on Tuesday,
November 2?
“I can’t afford it.” The
poll tax was pronounced
invalid in 1966. There is NO
CHARGE at the voting
place.
“I don t have time.
Pulling the lever of the
voting machines takes only
a few minutes. Consider
how much time we spend
complaining about elected
officials, and five minutes
or less is precious little by
comparison.
“I don’t have a ride to the
voting place.” This need
not be a problem. The Red
Cross offers rides to and
from the polls, as do the
Democratic Headquarters
and the Republican Head
quarters. Simply let some
one know that you need
transportation - a friend,
church or social group
leader, and you will be
assisted. If all else fails,
call your favorite candi
date. He or she will be
happy to help.
"My vote won’t make a
Zoel S. Hargraves Jr
...Community leader
Jim Richardson
...State House
difference ” We only fool
ourselves when we thinx
this. MANY elections have
been decided by only a few
votes.
“They erase my vote
when I leave the voting
booth." We live in a demo
cracy where the voting
procedures and rules are
very carefully drawn and
monitored. Represent
atives from the community
comprise the Board of
Elections to make certain
that these procedures are
strictly adhered to.
“I don t know who s
running." Review this spe
cial section of The
Charlotte Post, read your
daily newspapers and
watch television news pro
grams in the days preced
ing the election. Party
headquarters will also be
glad to provide additional
information for you.
‘‘I have to work." The
polls are open for 13 hours
- 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
No employer will keep you
from voting.
“It’s too cold.”
“It’s too hot.”
“I have a headache.”
NO EXCUSES
We can always find an
excuse for not voting. Ella
Talley, community activist
for many years, says,
Eddie Knox
...Charlotte mayor
Jim Polk
...State Senate
“There are no acceptable
excuses for staying away
from the polls,” and she
urges each reader to
“vote” and carry 10 people
to the polls with you! ”
We must remember that
voting is the only way we
have of letting our voices
be heard. In last June’s
primary election, only 15
percent of us voted.
Bill Culp, local Super
visor of Elections has be
come known for his pre
dictions of voter turnout.
Mr. Culp estimates that
less than 40 percent of all
registered voters will visit
the polls Tuesday.
How many of us will be
part of the remaining 60
percent predicted to be
apathetic?
Members of the Young
Democrats of Mecklenburg
County have been very
busy over the past several
months preparing for the
upcoming election.
The Young Democrats
will sponsor a Ninth Dis
trict Rally Friday evening
at 7. The rally will be at the
Park Center on Kings
Drive, and a hot dog supper
will be served. Tickets are
$8 (children under six free)
and can be purchased at
the door.
Governor Jim Hunt will
Bob Walton
...County Commissioner
Dr. Mildred Baxter Davis
Water & Soil Conservation
speak at the rally as will
congressional candidate
Preston Cornelius. All con
gressional districts have
held similar events and
Hunt has appeared at
every one as part of the
“Unity Campaign '82." The
Governor will be in at
tendance to show his sup
port of Democratic candi
dates from Lincoln, Iredell
and Mecklenburg Counties
With Hunt will be Lieu
tenant Governor Jimmy
Green, Attorney General
Rufus Edmiston, State
Superintendent of Public
Instruction Craig Phillips,
Insurance Commission
John Ingram and Commis
sioner of Labor John '
Brooks. •
The rally will give those
in attendance an opportun
ity to meet and chat with
our elected officials at the
state level as well as local
candiates for office.
YOUNG DEMOCRATS
Ward Simmons, account
, ant for Ernst and Whiney
and President of the Young
Democrats of Mecklenburg
County, says, "This rally is
an opportunity for the YDs
to do something tangible
for the candidates of our
district." Simmons esti
mates that his crew of over
See WE on Page 2B