Bohemia Village Voice

Everyone aged eighteen or over has a vote, but the average turn-out for a by-election is a mere 30%. Many of us are disenchanted with the management of society by successive governments and feel individually powerless, while others are merely apathetic. We have the franchise – let us get out into the polling stations and use it. As Henry David Thoreau, 19th century American writer, philosopher and naturalist said, “Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.” A workable way of putting this into practice has yet to be devised, but in the meantime, let us consider carefully, vote wisely, and above all, get to know our candidates when we have elected them, whether they belong to our chosen party or not, and make them aware of our concerns. Only then can we ordinary people become a power for change.