Serving the Towns of Wawarsing, Crawford, Mamakating, Rochester and Shawangunk, and everything in between
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Editorial
On Halloween & Election Day

Why is it that every year we get forced into playing Halloween against Election Day? Which of course brings up all sorts of silly jokes and witty ideas... as well as a host of downright dumb comments wherever one looks on the web over the coming week.

But enough complaining. Let's have at it, starting with the scariness embedded in Halloween.

We've got kids. Some like the holiday, a lot, while others worry that their parents may like it too much. Then there are those of us who look to all special days as special ways to explore some of the themes raised. It used to be that All Soul's Day, or Day of the Dead as it's known in large swaths of the world, was the key thing to center one's thoughts around this time of year. Just as Easter is about birth and rebirth, this time of year was designed to mourn those we've lost, and celebrate the joys of life by wrestling with our eternal fears of death. And yes, Halloween has some of that... but with something else now, as well.

Oh, we all worry about the candy treats and tricking orgies, as well as the wonderment of dressing in costumes and playing someone other than ourselves for a night. But what about the accompanying fright night fests, the scary stories we read each other, and the depths we go to to put a little more creepiness into our home decorations? Yes, it's all big business... but doesn't it all also serve a purpose?

In my view what we're getting at with our Halloween, one of those holidays we don't really share much with other nations or peoples, is a means for us all to acknowledge our great fears and laugh about them a little. And, in doing this en masse, feel the togetherness of community for at least a moment before it breaks again a few days later on Election Day.

Which brings us to the big issue here. Are we endorsing this year? Not in terms of candidates but, as we've done before, only in terms of issues we think people should be voting for... or against.

First off, we are tired of those who search out means to pillory an opponent, as has happened in several races before us. In such cases we always support he or she who takes the higher road and maintains a focus on what they are doing, or would do, to help our education system, to help local farmers, to make economic development happen on a local scale. Forget the big bromides... we are certain that no one wants more taxes, or regulations. But we do think some candidates care more about constituents than businesses, or communities over party lines. And that makes many decisions in the voting booth clear for us.

Secondly, we don't like placeholder candidates, those who are running without any real reason why they are running. Often they are there so people can lodge protest votes against an incumbent, or to be able to vote party line. We find such candidacies facetious, disingenuous, and they often create bad effects in the long run. They do not tie real wishes to real results. They are idealistic but not about the ways in which real politics really work.

Thirdly, we dislike candidates who reek of back-room politicking, whose very candidacy indicates that some other deal is in the works. We vote for those who have passion, and who have shown that they are working in a consistent fashion towards a greater good, while also remaining open to correction and change when needed. We do not suffer those who paint themselves for what they're not.

Lastly, we are all about people issues. We believe in education, in creating a fair and just society that is not just about rewards, but opportunity. And we want people in government who care about really searching for answers, and not just seeking to shape the discourse and shut down too many questions.

As stated last week, we don't look at elections as sport, but a means for finding better ways of dealing with the challenges we face collectively. Yet we do look at recent election trends, and political divisiveness for nothing but its own sake, as nothing but scary.



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