Registration is only
first step to becoming
an informed voter

The Oct. 4 deadline to register to vote has come and gone. There was a colossal drive to get citizens registered to vote in the Nov. 2 general election. It seemed that everyone involved in the get-out-the-vote drive was telling potential voters that all they had to do is vote to make this world a better place. Unfortunately, it is not that easy.

While I am all for encouraging every citizen to become involved in the electoral process, getting people registered was the easy step. After registering to vote, the real work around voting begins. An uninformed voter is just as, if not more, dangerous than someone who does not vote at all.

So I hope those of you reading this column are registered to vote, and I hope you are going to take the time to vote. However, before you enter the voting booth, you need to check out all of the candidates, find out who they are and what they believe. You need to get to really know the candidates and make sure they know who you are. That way after they get elected, the first time you meet is not when you are asking them to help you make this world a better place.

When it comes to incumbents, check out their voting records to see where they really stand on the issues. Do not take them at their word, because talk is cheap, especially in an election year. Case in point: Linda Lingle claimed to be pro-choice, but when push came to shove she vetoed legislation that would require all hospitals to offer emergency contraceptives for female victims of rape.

For the other candidates it may take a little more work to get to know them, but it would be time well spent. If any candidate is not accessible, and you cannot find out anything about them that has not been scripted, that tells you a lot about how they will act if they get elected. Do you really want any elected official representing you who is not accessible? I know I don't.

So you have done all that, and the person you think can help make Hawaii better loses; don't worry, all is not lost. You need to remember that real social change very rarely comes from the voting booth.

After Nov. 2, remember that you still have a voice in the way this state and country are run, even if your candidate is not in office. But you will lose your voice if you do not use your voice. How, you ask? There are many ways to make sure your opinion is heard.

Here is a short list that will scare those who don't want every citizen to benefit from an improved society.

>> Take to the streets each and every time there is a tax cut for the wealthy.

>> Write a letter to the editor and all of your elected representatives every time you hear that someone's civil rights have been violated. If your elected representatives do not get back to you, remember that and use it against them during the next election campaign.

>> Talk to your friends and acquaintances about politics when it is not an election year. Politics is only a taboo subject for the uniformed.

You also need to do something for yourself: Stay informed by getting your news from at least three different sources, not one of them being Fox News or any company owned by arch-conservative Rupert Murdoch. Make sure that at least one of these three sources is not a mainstream media outlet. Please keep in mind there is no such thing as a mainstream liberal media. They are only as liberal as the conservative company that owns them.

Take heart. A better world is possible, but it is only possible if you and your friends get involved and stay informed.