[Nfbf-l] Fw: Top Ten Reasons to Vote - Please Read, Respond and Share

Tue Sep 18 04:31:14 UTC 2012

This is a really good message to urge all of us to get out and vote. Just 
passing it along.

Sherri
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Samme.Ripley at ocfl.net
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 4:20 PM
Subject: FW: Top Ten Reasons to Vote - Please Read, Respond and Share

Sharing top 10 reasons to vote .

From: Jack Levine [mailto:jack at 4gen.org]
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2012 3:45 PM
To: Ripley, Samme
Subject: Top Ten Reasons to Vote - Please Read, Respond and Share

Dear Samme:

I'm pleased to be back in touch with you.....and wishing you well.

This is an Election Year...have you noticed?? Now that the national 
political party conventions are history, the real campaign begins....and it 
looks like it will be a doozie at the national, state and community levels.

While I'm strictly non-partisan in my advocacy for family policies that 
improve the odds for health, protection and lifelong success, I'm an ardent 
promoter of participation in all aspects of the political process.

I truly believe that voting is not just a right, it's a sacred 
responsibility.  There are few more influential civic activities than 
voting.  It takes a few minutes but has impact for years to come. When I 
think of the many who struggled, suffered, fought and died for our right to 
vote, I'm motivated all the more to have my voice be heard.

My Grandma Minnie picketed for women's suffrage as an immigrant teenage girl 
in New York.  She voted for the first time after the 19th Amendment took 
effect in 1920 and never missed a vote in her life...all 91 years!!

Her daughter Ruth, my mother, took me by the hand to watch her and my father 
vote.  My Dad was blind so he had to have a poll-watcher vote with him, but 
he always voted. They listened to the election results at the edge of their 
seats.  Everyone in my family took civic responsibilities so seriously that 
it was impossible for me to grow up without that same set of values.

The pollsters are busy making their case for where voters are leaning. The 
pundits are sharpening their sound bites. The commercials, mail fliers and 
phone calls are flooding in.  But when all the words are said, charges 
leveled and money spent, it's we the voters who hold the power to decide who 
will lead our nation, our states, and communities into the future

Please share my power of voting message with your contacts and feel free to 
include it in newsletters, religious bulletins and workshop packets in the 
months ahead until the Tuesday November 6th General Election.

TOP TEN REASONS TO VOTE

- To honor those in our military who courageously fight for us and our law 
enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency workers who respond to our 
needs and defend the peace at home. Those who sacrifice their personal 
well-being in the name of our safety and security deserve our respect.

- To honor people who struggled for civil rights, women's suffrage and the 
ideals of justice for all whose diverse voices are essential for our nation's 
moral health and community vitality.  Freedom needs affirmation.

- To be a good example to our children and grandchildren by exercising the 
right to vote as a symbol of our faith in democracy. By voting we send a 
signal of the importance of the choices we as adults make to secure a better 
future for ourselves, for our children, and generations who will follow.

- Voting is our society's great equalizer. No matter our station in life, 
income, ethnic heritage or social status, every citizen over age 18 has the 
same power of one vote.

- Pollsters do not determine who wins elections; voters do.  Predicting the 
outcome of elections, especially close ones, is at best an inexact science. 
Pollsters and political pundits have their roles, but like each of us, they 
only have one vote.

- Elections should not be about negative ads, it should be about the options 
we have to promote positive policy actions.  Voting for candidates in whom 
we believe, and for or against ballot initiatives we know will affect our 
future, is a perfect counterbalance to the flood of negativity polluting the 
airwaves and filling our mailboxes.

- While voting is now a bit less convenient than in previous years, access 
to registration information and early voting are still available for people 
who want their voices heard.  Democracy is a team sport..and spectators 
simply don't count.

- It's vital to be an informed voter. Pay attention to news reports and 
editorials about the campaigns. While how we vote is confidential, the fact 
that we have voted, or failed to vote, is public record.  Elected officials 
know which individuals and demographic groups are voting, and we who do vote 
are more likely to be influential in policy debates. Non-voters are 
voiceless and by not participating can become victims of their own neglect.

- Regret is preventable. November 7th is one day too late, and "could have, 
should have" are sorry alternatives to acting.  Have a "no excuses" attitude 
by committing to vote, ask others to join us in voting, and promote a 
positive approach to making a difference among family, friends and 
colleagues.

- Be part of making history.  Because every indicator points to the prospect 
that the 2012 election will have impact for years/decades to come, every 
vote is even more important.  As a Floridian, I know how close elections can 
be!  Being a participant in affecting history gives each of us a sense of 
pride in democracy and the power to touch the future.

I'M PLEASED TO BE IN TOUCH AND WELCOME YOUR RESPONSE

As we move forward, I welcome invitations to share my advocacy messages in 
keynote addresses, strategy seminars, and assisting organizations and with 
their strategic planning need on how to become more powerful advocates, 
connect with community opinion leaders for public policy impact, communicate 
effectively, and develop financial resources to achieve their program goals.

Simply hit the reply key and let me know what you have in mind!  I would 
enjoy hearing your thoughts......

Finally, I am thrilled to recommend a new movie, Beasts of the Southern 
Wild, which is one of the most compelling films I've ever experienced.  The 
major character is a six-year-old girl whose perceptions about life and 
amazing magnetic character will move you. None of the actors in this film 
has any prior experience, but you will not be disappointed...guaranteed!

Thanks for your leadership and feel free to share my messages with family, 
friends and colleagues.  Never hesitate to contact me.

All my best.

Jack

________________________
Jack Levine, Founder
4Generations Institute
Jack at 4Gen.org

http://4Gen.org

850.567.5252 (mobile/voicemail)
P.O. Box 10875 Tallahassee, FL 32302

The Advocate's Credo:
Thou art my child, my parent, and my elder,
I love thee best,
But could not love thee half as much,
Loved I not all the rest.

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(407) 412-7467

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