Griffin Speaks

One Vote

In 1984, while studying in Boston, Massachusetts I had the opportunity to meet and talk with people who survived Adolph Hitler’s brutal concentration camps. The thing I remember most about my conversation with one woman was her comment that Adolph Hitler was given leadership of the Nazi Party in 1923 by a margin of ONE VOTE.

I am amazed at how many educated people in Montgomery fail to vote. When the voter registration list came out a couple of weeks ago I searched for several names. I wanted to see if certain people were registered to vote. To my dismay there were several prominent names absent from the list. I approached a few people to ask them why they were not registered to vote in the upcoming election. Almost all of them told me they believed it was useless to vote. They said all politicians are the same: A BUNCH OF CROOKS!

History teaches us the importance of ONE VOTE. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell obtained control of England by a margin of ONE VOTE! In 1649, King George I was beheaded after a ONE VOTE margin. In 1714, the monarchy was restored in England by a margin of ONE VOTE! In 1771, English became the official language of America instead of German by a margin of ONE VOTE! In 1845, Texas was brought into the union by ONE VOTE! In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was saved from impeachment by ONE VOTE! In 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes became President of the United States by ONE VOTE! In 1941, the selective service (draft) was saved by a margin of ONE VOTE! In 1948, Lyndon Johnson became U.S. Senator by a margin of ONE VOTE!

I could go on and on about the power of one vote. I truly hope that we will not be apathetic in future elections. If you don’t vote you surely do not count.

Yesterday I personally witnessed something beautiful that was spearheaded by local City Councilman, TERRANCE “WATCHDOG” DAWSON. It was a fun-filled community event to help prevent crime in our district five neighborhoods. I was very impressed as I watched hundreds of black people pass by my front yard headed to the festivities. They were orderly and respectful. I attended some of the festivities and chatted with Councilman Dawson for a few moments. I stayed long enough to see Councilman Dawson take the stage and perform the California Hustle. That was a sight not to miss. The following morning I noticed that no one had thrown any trash in my yard. I applaud Councilman Dawson for a job well done. He is proving to be a good councilman. He is also responsible for bringing a new park to the westside of Montgomery. He had some big shoes to fill following former City Councilman Sidney Williams. There are still many residents shedding tears at the lost of Councilman Williams, but many tearful eyes are drying as Dawson proves that he is evolving into becoming what the people in District five need at City Hall.

Greg Griffin is a free-lance writer. You can read his previous columns by logging on to his webpage at www.greggriffin.com