As Americans head to the polls today, here is another perspective on voting and security in America:
We all know about the darker side of voting: voter fraud, vulnerable electronic voting systems, social engineering among others. There is one topic that is very often overlooked in the United States - Personal Security.
My wife and I left for the polling station mid-morning toting my one year old son. The biggest things that we were thinking about were "where is the carton of Fishies[tm]" and "we need a copy of the lease to register, where is it?" We left the polling station after 15 minutes, successfully registering and voting. I dropped my small family off and headed for work. On the way to work, while listening to a history lesson on NPR, I began to reflect on what I had just done.
In less secure and stable parts of the world, people have to vote in makeshift bunkers for fear of bombings. People are shot, maimed or worse for voicing their opinion. This is not even a second thought in the US. The worst thing that I was looking forward to was finding a parking space.
My reflection: Among all of the normal topics of discussion, I would like to add a congratulations to the people that make the process safe for US voters. I would Also like to reflect on the fact that as a security buff, I know that this has not been, nor will it always be the case - Vote with pride and care.
Please take a moment to reflect on this and other issues for a moment if you are frustrated with the banter on the major networks.
-Voter 1749, Ward 8 Nashua, NH.
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