Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 July 2000 — Page 2

The Muncie Times, July 20, 2000, page 2

EDITORIAL

To make a difference, register and vote in November elections

In November, Americans will go to the polls to elect their first president of the new millennium. It is a crucial election, one which will also see spirited contests for control of Congress, governorships and state legislatures. We hope all those who are eligible will register to vote and, come November, will flock to the voting booths to choose candidates of their choice. If you want to make a difference, then you must vote. If you want to have a say in the election of the men and women who will make many important decisions that will affect us in the coming months and years, then you should pay attention to what those running for office

The Muncie Times accepts and publishes “Letters to the Editor" under the following conditions: ■ The letter must indicate the writer’s name, address and phone number where the writer can be reached during the day. Addresses and phone numbers will not be published. N If the writer wishes the letter to be published under a pseudonym, that wish will be

have to say. Often we have heard that people are turned off by politics. We have heard the all-too-common statements that people do not think politics matters. It does. Although some people may find the electoral process frustrating or populated by some candidates who appear self serving, it is the only game in town when it comes to choosing those who will represent us at the local, county, state and federal levels. There is no logical alternative to it. Therefore, if we want to make a difference, we must participate. If we choose to stand on the sidelines, then we have no right to complain about those who are elected and

honored. However, the writer’s full particulars must be included in the letter, along with the suggested psedonym. M Letters must be brief, preferably no more than 300 words long and should, if possible, be typed and doublespaced. Hand-written letters will also be accepted. ■ The editor reserves the right to edit all letters for brevity,

whether they look out for our best interests. We cannot influence them if they know that we do not vote. Those running for office, especially for president or the U. S. Congress or for governor or the legislature, will shape the direction of this country and this state. They will determine economic policy, whether this country continues to enjoy peace and prosperity and low unemployment or whether it needs to switch direction and try new policies. They will decide what is going to be done about the education of our children, including such pivotal issues as whether public tax dollars should support public education only or

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accuracy, taste, grammar and libel. ■ All correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. ■ Unsolicited manuscripts will only be returned if the writer includes a self-addressed, stamped envelope with correct postage.

be siphoned off into supporting non-public schools or be used for the voucher system. Decisions are also pending on whether to strengthen hate crimes legislation, making sure that the Social Security system will remain viable, providing cheaper and more affordable prescription drugs for those on welfare, reexamining the death penalty case to try and eliminate its inequalities and unfairness including whether DNA evidence should be mandatory in all capital punishment cases, providing coverage for all those who lack health insurance today and improving the minimum wage for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. There are pressing foreign policy issues that await the election of a new president and a new Congress: peace in the Middle East, the AIDS epidemic around the world, especially in Africa; U. S. relations with the United Nations; the U. S. role as the

world’s only remaining superpower; human rights issues around the world; global terrorism; global cooperation; leadership on environmental issues, including global warming; combating those who advocate isolationism; increasing safety on the job; tightening gun control laws; ending racial profiling, unfair sentences against minorities and, finally, eliminating all racial segregation and discrimination. To be invited to the table of power, we must participate in the process. We must demonstrate our commitment to the democratic process by voting. This year, we shall be electing a new U. S. president and a new Indiana governor, among others. We must do all we can to ensure that our voices are heard and to remind all politicians that we have the power to help those who help us and punish those who seek to hurt or ignore us. Those who choose to ignore us must do so at their own political risk.

LETTER POL

MUNCIE TIMES STAFF

Publisher Bea Moten-Foster Editor John T. Lambkun Advertising Bea Moten-Foster and Richard Casey Layout Nikki L. Petty Typesetting Tara Carter

Contributors: Bea Moten-Foster, Bernice Powell-Jackson, Dr. T.S. Kumbula, John Lambkun, Judy Mays and Hugh Price. The Muncie Times is published twice monthly at 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, Ind. 47303. It covers the communities of Anderson, Marion, New Castle, Richmond, and Muncie. All editorial correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, The Muncie Times, 1304 N. Broadway, Muncie, IN 47303. Telephone (765) 741-0037. Fax (765) 741-0040.

appreciates your support and your business! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please call us at 741-0037 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. *’% i * * r\ , •* --V C ™ » '• - <**•»'<** .*. ;-*?• V* * *«>.#*«*** 4 ♦-»••»♦&*«*** -5 - “'SS*##* fc- ft* . ^ .8 * »«0 V-* 1 ^ - 4. ' i