Surviving the Electio s I write this, Fall has just offi- cially begun, and already I’m willing to admit that I’m sick of this election — no small admission from a political junkie. I suspect that there are many more of us out there feeling the same way. So many of us pinned our hopes A on home—grown Howard Dean, who at the beginning of the year looked like he could get the nomination. He woke up a*young- middle-aged—old constituency bymaking blunt statements to counter the Orwellian “newspeak” coming from the other side. And when he was shot down in flames (some say he shot himself in the foot), many of our hopes went down with-him. It’s no secret that John Kerry has endorsed both civil rights for gay men and lesbians and state constitutional amend— ' ments to prevent us from marrying the partners we choose. He is not the candi- - date closest to our hearts when we’re con- sidering who will be best for our commu- ' nities’ wellbeing. Meanwhile,Republicans endorse an anti—gay national platform. George W. Bush no longer claims to be a “compas- sionate conservative” as he encourages Congress to pass a federal amendment to disallow our marriages — and perhaps even void our state-sanctioned civil unions. ’ It’s a fact that Republicans on the state level declined to show up at what was planned as a tri—partisan get—out-the- vote Queer Summit meetinglast spring and that Governor Jim Douglas could not find it in his heart to issue a proclamation for our Pride celebration. ' And meanwhile, Democratic can- didate Peter Clavelle, like the presidential candidate who shares his party (and like Howard Dean), has steadfastly refused to say in any forum, public or private, that he is in favor of marriage equality for les- bians and gay men. Our lives have been kicked from one end of the political playing field to the other. We have been used and abused for - others’ political gain, and from where I sit we haven’t gained a whole hell of a lot in the exercise. Well, with the exception of Massachusetts marriages, but even that has been tainted by the exclusionary bully- ing of Republican governor Mitt Romney’s application of a racist law. No wonder we’re exhausted. It’s justat this point that we need- to find our second wind, to let go of our disappointment in the flawed choices available. Because, at bottom, this election isn’t about us, though how any society treats its minorities is a measure of its claims of humanity, of being a moral leader in the world. ’ This election is about nothing _ less than whether democracy survives. That is not an egregiously alarmist state- ment for anyone who has thought in any depth about how totalitarian governments evolve. But it should be an alarming real- ization. » ’ ’ I can’t.tell you how to vote, and no one can coerce your conscience. I can only tell you how important it is to vote. Qnless we all vote, our votes might not count again for a very long time. Sometimes I think "I ’m preaching to the choir, because according to Vermont surveys 90 percent of us who responded are registered to vote and actually voted in the 2000 election. That was another con- test between flawed candidates for presi- dent and governor, but the issue that gal- vanized most’ of us was civil unions. But here’s where hope can come alive. If we vote, and if we call our neigh- bors and friends and take them with us to the polls, we can have an impact. We can put into the state legislature the people who will table all civil union rollback bills, who may even entertain marriage equality to give us a seat at the federal court when Massachusetts couples demand full faith and credit in the homes they’ve moved to elsewhere. ' We can choose the representa- tives who will decide that this state Supreme Court Justice should stay and that one should go. We can have a gover- -.__..---... - _.- nor who knows wherefores of Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride in the" face of centuries of oppression. ' By voting, we are choosing the choosers on a national level, those who decide how clean is the air we breathe, and how much ‘mercury falls into the» ocean, whether profit is more important than the ordinary lives of everyday people. We can choose the deciders who fund healthcare — or don’t. Who base their poli- cies on science — or on hetero-centric reli- gious sectarian doctrine. Who will choose or confirm the next two or even three Justices of the US Supreme Court. ;, By voting — and making sure everyone on our street votes — we show that we still, in our heart of hearts believe in democracy — not theocracy — in one cit- . izen, one vote. And if we vote in our millions — if more than two—thirds of us vote, not just ~ the lgbt’s, but the whole rest" of the alpha- bet, too — we will show that it will take V more than manufactured terror, manipulat- ed fear, and massive lies to defeat the democracy that is in our hearts, the knowl— -’ edgethat every person can have a say, check the box, pull the lever, and yes, _touch the screen. V So take it on as a challenge — vote, and get at least 10 of your friends, neighbors, and family members to vote,’ too. It’s a matter. of life or death for democracy - and there are still plenty of people in the World dying to get the chance that we have and ignore at our peril. V Euan Bear Editor Ballots are available to registered voters for - early/absentee voting beginning October 4.