The Ballot is Stronger than the Bullet

I could almost hear the champagne pop upstairs
as Michel and Marie celebrated their new
president of the Republic of France.



The hope, here in France,  is that François Hollande
will be a president for the people, in touch with the
labourer, the teacher,  the street cleaner, the stay at home
parent,  the small business enterprise.  Of course,
this hope of the everyday person is the fear of
the wealthy.

His presidency marks more than just the

 end of 17 years of right-wing French leadership."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/

"ALMOST EVERY CRISIS-HIT EUROPEAN COUNTRY 

THAT HAS HELD AN ELECTION SINCE DISASTER 

STRUCK IN 2009 HAS THROWN OUT ITS LEADER."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/

The People are speaking in Europe. 

Voter turnout in France for this election was 80%

Voter turnout in the USA for 2008 was just a little over 57%,

the same turnout which elected Andrew Jackson

in 1828! 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout_in_the_United_States_presidential_elections

Voter turnout in Canada for 2011 was 61%,

down from 73% in 1867.

Compare these voter turnouts to The Republic of Malta

which had a 93% voter turnout in their last election,  a country

which has the "highest voter turnout in free elections."

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090215/local/malta-has-highest-free-voter-turnout-in-the-world.245033

Abraham Lincoln once said that

"the ballot is stronger than the bullet."

And Louis L'Amour, one of America's great

storytellers of the Western Frontier said,

"To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants,

 not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain."

 http://www.finestquotes.com/select_quote-category-Voting-page-0.htm#ixzz1uAg4mxTr

I wonder,  will the people speak in the United States

this November, 2012?