[speaker001:] [Static] [TV] Okay.
[speaker002:] Okay. Well, uh, do you believe only fifty percent of the people actually vote?
[speaker001:] I think it's somewhere really close to that cause I think a lot of people believe that their one little vote is not going to make that much difference. And they really don't listen to any of the issues anymore.
[speaker002:] Huh.
[speaker001:] Because they feel like so many of the politicians are like crooked, you know?
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And so they figure why go out and vote, you know. They're going to do what they want to do. They're corrupt anyway [clanging]. And
[speaker002:] Well,
[speaker001:] I think one of the good ways of solving that is to like, everybody likes to come to a party so have a voting party and, uh, you know, like in communities [talking] and have the issues there and then everybody go vote together and then maybe come back over and have brunch or something. I mean that's the only,
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] thing that I can figure out because I've heard so many people say well I'm not going on voting on that one, you know, I, I'm going to go fishing today. Or it won't make any difference if, if I don't vote [thumping] and I think it does. We vote every time.
[speaker002:] Well, it, uh, there's no question it does make a difference. Uh, so far,
[speaker001:] [Tones].
[speaker002:] as having a party and then all voting, uh, when you have different precincts, you would have to have a party in every precinct.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Because people have to vote in different areas and, uh, not everyone votes at the same place.
[speaker001:] [Tones].
[speaker002:] Uh, I, personally, think that we need to do more along the education lines in the schools and the children from the little ones on up, with the idea of the, the value of voting and the purpose of voting and that one vote does make a difference. But,
[speaker001:] Right. And ma-, maybe let them have some mock, I mean
[speaker002:] Absolutely.
[speaker001:] uh, you know [clanging] elections and stuff
[speaker002:] Absolutely.
[speaker001:] and vote for different people in their classes and start really young. That's a real good idea.
[speaker002:] And, and they are are doing that in a number of schools.
[speaker001:] [Thumping].
[speaker002:] However, probably not enough of them, uh, country wide. But it's going to take at least a whole generation of people, uh, to get across the idea of voting. Uh, just like it's taking a whole generation of people to finally, uh, realize the harmfulness of drugs and
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] uh, hopefully to, uh, now with the many programs throughout the country on,
[speaker001:] [Clink].
[speaker002:] how to resist taking drugs. How to say no to it and what have you. That, uh, perhaps we'll finally get the youth weaned off of it. But, uh, I know I,
[speaker001:] [Thumping].
[speaker002:] I spent thirty-four years in education here in the Dayton area and in nineteen fifty-one the police were telling us about the drug dealers outside the school and how they were just giving away their marijuana, giving away their heroin [mispronounced] and what have you, to get them started.
[speaker001:] Um.
[speaker002:] And, you know, that was in fifty-one. That's forty years ago
[speaker001:] God.
[speaker002:] that it was already a problem. So it's now, uh, to the forefront and people are finally taking some action against it. And the thing, we've, we've neglected the value of voting. And
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] uh, and what it really means [clicking] to vote and [barking] we also don't make the, uh, the issues perhaps in language that people fully understand them.
[speaker001:] Yeah. Well I don't know how it is up there but down here, Louisiana has a bad reputation for their politicians and all.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] I mean, I'm sure you heard about
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] some of ours.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] And, uh, people are just, I mean it's like they're turned off on voting. And that's the reason I said maybe if you had something like a block party.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] Okay, we're going to have a block party. Everybody's going to get together. We're going to discuss the different issues and stuff and then we're going to go and vote, you know. We're going to go vote like, maybe they could give something like, uh, the top neighborhood, if you had a hundred percent in your neighborhood or something like that, you know. I mean it doesn't have to be, it could be like a, a sign that they would put down at the end of your block.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] You know, or anything like that but it, it's really bad here. I mean to me it is. It seems like people just don't care anymore. They say, huh, well it don't make any difference, you know. One crook is as good as the other one.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] And they don't bother to listen to what any of them have to say.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] And, uh, I know my husband [thumping] now we go vote every time. I don't care how small the ballot is, {E I
[speaker002:] Uh-huh. Right.
[speaker001:] mean, } if there's one thing, if there's one issue, because the way I feel is if I don't vote, then I don't have any reason,
[speaker002:] [Barking].
[speaker001:] to gripe.
[speaker002:] To complain about it, right?
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] And I hear so many people saying well I wish this would change, I wish that and, you know, but they didn't go vote.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] And, uh, maybe if they, like you said, if they would start when little kids and start letting them vote and learn how to vote
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] and all. Then, uh, and the importance of it because, okay, if you don't vote for your friend over here, well your friend's not going to have a chance.
[speaker002:] Tha-,
[speaker001:] He needs your vote just like he needs everybody else's, you know. Maybe if they were brought up that a way, like you said, it would. Because I know here, uh, until you get into high school now then they had the voting machines and you voted for like cheerleaders
[speaker002:] Yes. Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and different things like that but they should start that a lot earlier.
[speaker002:] Yeah. I, it's the same way with everything in education though. It should begin and right down in the first grade. Uh, and your very best teachers in my estimation should be first, second or third grade. So that the children develop good learning patterns and you have some success and want to go on learning and continue learning, uh
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] and not wait until they're in high school and then it's too late to try to change them around at that point.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] But, uh, everything should be started on the lower levels and, uh, certainly if the youngsters had that opportunity that, you know, they, they understood that the principles of the country were established so that everyone would have a say and everyone would have a vote and what that vote meant and
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] uh, but it, but you're right from the standpoint that people do have a negative attitude towards politicians.
[speaker001:] [Tones].
[speaker002:] And perhaps it's because our campaigns have become so terribly expensive to run, uh, that only the most wealthy can do so.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] And they're not always the best person for the job.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] But they have the money to be able to do it. So, uh
[speaker001:] Definitely.
[speaker002:] so that there are a lot of problems along that line also. And perhaps the Government,
[speaker001:] You know a good i-, idea for the young kids like that too, is to have like a [lipsmack] a mock one. And, okay, this, this candidate tells
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] you some things that are going to happen and this candidate tells you
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] some things. Okay, then this percentage of the voters, I mean the kids in that class, they are not going to let them vote this time but they have to do whatever [thumping] these people, whichever one the other people
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] elect do. If they did something like that and started kids out real young and showed them, okay now you're not going to get to vote but you're
[speaker002:] Yes.
[speaker001:] going to have to do what that person says, they would understand probably by the time [LAUGHTER] they were
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] in high school, they'd be ready to vote.
[speaker002:] That's right. And I think, you know, that's an excellent idea. They would put them to realize that, that they're going to have to do what someone else says even though they didn't vote for it.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And that maybe they need to think twice about voting. Now some
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] people object during primaries, having to declare a party, whether Republican or Democrat and
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] you do that in the primary. Uh, and I don't know that, uh, a lot of people vote in primaries for that very reason. Uh, they can declare anything they want and they can actually rig it. If they really wanted to vote Republican, they could go in the primary and say they were voting Democrat and then stack the ballot for someone that perhaps the Republican could beat. But, uh, it's, uh, it's just a sad situation and, uh, I do think more needs to be done along that line to help to, uh, teach the people, uh, uh, everyone, uh, more about what is going on with voting and with nonvoting.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So that, uh, we can make, they're making some more intelligent decisions. And it's going to take these young
[speaker001:] I think that sounds great.
[speaker002:] you know, it's going to take the, uh, a whole generation of my feeling, uh, before that's going to be accomplished [clicking].
[speaker001:] Well, you know, they'd have to start when they're real young.
[speaker002:] That's right.
[speaker001:] I mean, you know, it would have to be a child that is just coming into school. Because, well I'll tell you another thing too now. Whenever, the first time I voted, I never voted in high school because there was never anyone that showed us how to use the
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] voting machines, now this sounds dumb, [inhaling] but I did not know how to use those voting machines and nobody ever showed us or anything so I didn't vote because anybody that went in there and they asked a question, all the other kids
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] laughed at them. They thought that was funny. Ah, she don't even know how, wah, wah.
[speaker002:] Right. Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] So there wasn't any way I was going to go in there and vote. And it took me, I mean it took such courage you wouldn't [LAUGHTER] believe
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] to go vote the first time because I was waiting for somebody to laugh at me because I
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] didn't know how to work the machines.
[speaker002:] Well sure it is.
[speaker001:] Now that's bad. And I mean I was out of school. I was a married person.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] And, uh, I didn't know how to work the machine, you know. And it really scared me, really bad. Because I thought all these people are going to laugh at me because I don't know how to work this machine. Where if they'd, if they'd had a class or something or just to a short time, you know, to, said okay, this is the way,
[speaker002:] Well, just the, just the opportunity to try the voting machines, yeah.
[speaker001:] Right. It's, this is the way it's going to be. And my son was exactly the same way that I was and I didn't realize it until, uh, his senior year. I s-, asked him something about well did you, who did you vote for, for, uh, cheerleader [tones]? And he said, oh I didn't go vote. He said, uh, there's no way I'm getting in that machine. Well then I realized it so when we went and voted the next time, I asked the, uh, lady, I said I want my son to come in with me and she said well, uh, why, you know. He'll have to come back out. I said because I want him to know how to use [tones]
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] one of these and I said, I won't turn any of the buttons down but I want to show him how to use it so that he'll be
[speaker002:] Yes. Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] able to vote [lipsmack]. And, uh, so he went in and now he's a
[speaker002:] Good.
[speaker001:] registered voter. But he would not vote
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] before then. And, I mean, I think that's bad.
[speaker002:] Sure it is. Absolutely.
[speaker001:] You know, here I was. And, and even, of course there's a lot of years between the two of us, but even with that many years between [static] [TV],