Orlando Sentinel by Patricia Brigham
September 24, 2019
The other evening at a social gathering, a gentleman asked me what could be done about decisions our Legislature had made that he believed to be onerous. He was upset about the recent maneuverings around the implementation of Amendment 4, the citizen’s initiative that was approved by nearly 65% of the voters in the 2018 election, restoring the right to vote to returning citizens (ex-felons) who have paid their dues to society. My response: “Vote.”
We’ve often heard the refrain: “Why vote? It doesn’t do any good.” Certainly, there are causes for concern, such as the late-night machinations of legislators regarding Amendment 4. Sixty-five percent of Floridians voted to pass the initiative, yet their votes were not respected by lawmakers in Tallahassee. So, some may ask — why register? Why vote?