To the Editor

Nov. 8 Ohio will speak: include your voice!I wanted to take some time this week to open a conversation with all Ohioans, to remind them that revolution is the reason for the season! The season, of course, is the election next week and the right to vote is the most important right each of us has as American citizens. America has always been about rights…while many nations are based on shared language or ethnic heritage, Americans have made rights the foundation of our national identity. At times, history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man’s endless quest for liberty. So it was in Lexington and Concord. So it is now for Ohio.In politics, we often say there is no such thing as an off-year election. In this great country of ours, we have the right to vote more frequently and for more elected officials than any other country in the world! I urge you to exercise this important right. In 340 B.C., Aristotle said, “If Liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are mainly to be found in democracy, they will be attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost.” So how can the consent of the governed be given if the governed choose not to participate. I urge you to make your voice heard this election day as we face three important ballot initiatives as well as the election of mayors, city councilmen, township trustees, and local judges. Ohio will speak next Tuesday—don’t stay silent, include your voice. It is your right, it is your privilege and it is your obligation. The time is NOW.Ida Barlock, ChairwomanTuscarawas County Democratic Party