Today's MOZEN: The Power of the Vote 10/4/2014

Words and photo by F LoBuono

In a recent conversation, a friend expressed his frustration with his perceived inability to affect positive change in the world, at least in a broad sense. He felt that the key to success in life is to concentrate on the small, personal stuff, i.e. the things you can truly control, and not worry about things you have little chance of changing. To my surprise, this included voting. He felt the so-called power of the vote was a misnomer and that the individual vote was insignificant. He claimed that there is no REAL power in it. I adamantly disagreed. He argued that, when viewed in its totality, the voting process tends to make a single voice virtually pointless. I countered that there within lies the problem. If everyone felt that way (and, unfortunately, many do) the already pitiful voter turnout in this Country would dip even further. However, if you dig deeper into current voting patterns, he may have a point. This is evidenced most vividly, on opposite ends of the spectrum, in two very distinct and different areas: Ferguson, Missouri and Rockland/Orange Counties in rural New York.

A suburb of St. Louis, Ferguson has been very much in the national news in recent weeks. When a white police officers shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown, the city erupted in racial violence, pitting the mostly black residents against the mostly white police force. Many leaders from around the Country, both black and white, condemned the violence and slowly began to address the issues that may have caused such animosity. On the surface, the answer would appear obvious. The city's population is overwhelmingly African-American. The city's power structure, including the town council, the police, and fire departments is overwhelmingly white. However, it was not always like this. Ferguson, which had been a middle-class, white suburb as recently as the 1960's, saw it's demographics change when mostly disadvantaged blacks were forced by gentrification in St. Louis to move there.

So, if the population changed to mostly African-American, why didn't the power structure, as well? It's not really hard to find the answer. African-Americans in Ferguson simply don't vote. They haven't in the past and they still don't. In the last local election, only 12% of eligible black voters actually did. 12%. How can you accumulate ANY power if you have no base? Where is your voice? Why is this happening? You can make the case that too many African-Americans have become disenfranchised from so many years of election laws that discourage their participation in the process. And there is validity there. However, to effect change you must make the effort TO change. Sometimes, it may even take a herculean effort. But it must be made. Otherwise, it becomes a Catch-22, i.e. you spend endlessly amounts of time complaining about the fact that nothing ever changes so that no change can ever occur! You must take action, not make excuses. Even the Rev. Al Sharpton, the de facto spokesperson for African-American causes, attempted to shame Ferguson's black population to action by saying "if you do not vote your children will be ashamed of you". Think about it. If Ferguson's African-Americans could mobilize to vote with the same passion and intensity that they recently took to the streets to protest the death of that young man they could wrestle enough power back to change of their own community. Remember what Gandhi said: Be the change you would like to see in the world.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities located in Orange and Rockland Counties, New York, particularly those at New Square and Kiryas Joel. Both of those communities, along with a host of others, are populated exclusively by members of their particular Jewish sect. They are insular, if not isolated, mimicking in many ways the shtetls of Eastern Europe. That is they dress the same, pray the same, talk the same, and VOTE the same. Yes, members of these communities vote as one. And vote they do - often by the thousands. They vote in their own self interest as guided by their supreme leader. And they are effective. In fact, they are so effective with their so-called block votes, that they often usurp the voting process and overwhelm any opposition. The POWER of their vote is validated by the fact that virtually every candidate for State or National office makes an official visit to one of, if not all, of these communities. Why? So they can secure the thousands of votes they will assuredly get for that single visit (should the Grand Rebbe give his blessing).

What they do is not illegal. In fact, it may even be brilliant. They use the system, as it was designed, to effect change on their behalf. However, even though it is not illegal, many now also see it as immoral. Since these communities are so insular, they do not participate in other town activities or encourage others to participate in theirs. Often, the needs and desires of the ultra-Orthodox communities are in direct opposition with those of the rest of the town. But, using the power of the block vote, they often overwhelm any dissenting voice. By voting together, they can dominate local elections thereby eliminating any competing interests. This is particularly detrimental in local school boards. Orthodox communities do not send their children to public schools. Their children are educated in yeshivas. Therefore, when elected to local school boards, they tend to vote against any improvement in schools that they do not send their children to. This, of course, causes the local public schools to decay, sometimes, to the point of closure. The same thing happens on local town boards, as well. Candidates from the ultra-Orthodox community are elected by block vote and use their position to advance the cause of their own community, often to the detriment of the community at large. In response to these actions, many towns are now considering establishing voting districts so that each segment of the population may be properly represented. THIS is the power of the vote.

The symbol of power in ancient Rome was the Fasces. It was a bundle of reeds lashed together. The message is sublime and powerful: a single reed can easily be snapped. However, tie a bunch of the them together and it's a whole different story. From this, the US took the slogan from the Latin, E Pluribus Unum - From Many, One. When it comes to voting, we may look at it yet another way: From One, Many. Use your power. Vote. It's only wasted if you don't use it at all.