Voting: A Learned Behavior
My parents always took me to the polls when they voted. Some of my earliest memories are of helping my mom and/or dad pull the levers when they used to have the old time machines. All I can remember thinking is, like all children watching their older people do something they can not yet do, “I can’t wait until I can vote.” I have never missed an election, save perhaps a school district election on a Saturday a couple of years ago. Otherwise, I vote.
And I think it is a learned behavior.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqkNvQlQntQ[/youtube]
As a child I loved going to vote with my parents. And, yes, they had the old lever type of machines that I got to use.
This past primary I took my 10 year-old boy in the booth with me and I let him push the Obama button. This was one of the most proudest moments of my life. My wife takes my son today due to my work schedule. The good news was that I got to vote for Obama this time.
Education should include good citizenship. Parents practicing it helps but lest that not be one’s privilege, teachers should be allowed to teach it at every grade level.
My parents would take me to vote with them and would let me pull the levers. I do believe it starts early.
I made the mistake of taking my 3 year old with me 4 years ago. He pushed the BIG VOTE button AT HIS EYE LEVEL before I got half way down the ticket. For penance we handed out Obama literature at our polling place during the primary. All is forgiven.
I takes me a long time to push that green button because I have to triple check my picks.
That would have killed me.