Treasure freedom

This story in the New Zealand Herald was probably little-noticed by the media and therefore, you probably didn’t hear about it. But it says a lot about human nature in general….and Americans in some way.

Sierra Leoneans desperate for change voted in huge numbers yesterday in the first elections since UN peacekeepers left two years ago following the diamond-rich nation’s 1991-2002 civil war.

In jungle clearings and city slums, voters queued for hours to cast their ballots for a new president and 112 parliamentarians.

Despite fears of violence, voting was generally peaceful, with only minor scuffles after polling stations closed. Officials counted votes by lamplight in the war-shattered coastal capital of Freetown, while people on the darkened streets clasped radios to their ears, awaiting results.

We take for granted what is a privilege and responsibility. Our voting sites are usually close to home, easily accessible and safe. And election results are all over the television networks for hours and hours. How many Americans take part in the process? Roughly half, by most assessments. Check out Wiki on this, scroll down about halfway to the chart of national voter turnout percentages in 36 nations. Americans are third from last. This defies reason.