John, I thought that was a nifty and eloquent response to Drury's argument for apathy and indolence with regards to voting. Someone had to say it, but few can say it as well as you can.

But the reason for this voice card is not to plug John's communication skills. Drury's jury card and John's reply made me remember my California days and one (of many) advantages of living in that state: The voter booklets compiled by the Secretary of State (the State of Calif., silly), which not only give you the text of all the propositions, but also include pro and con statements about them written by, in my experience, responsible groups and people such as representatives of Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, etc. - at least, usually.

Occassionally, with regards to an initiative that was so obviously in the public interest, the booklet people had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for groups to respond to the other side of these initiatives. These other responders, as I recall, were representatives of groups that had names like "Citizens for Responsible Oil Slicks" or "Committee-for-Our-narrow-brand-of-Morality-as-the-Only-Brand-of Morality-and-anybody-who- disagrees-with-us-is-from-the denizens-of-hell (or gay and/or Jewish and/or a member of some horrid nasty little ethnic minority and/or on the Trilateral Commission) and-should-be-either-slaughtered-like-pigs-and/or-banished-from-our-sweet-state-of-dusty-brown-hills-and-stunning-ocean-views-into-the-savage-pinko-outback-where-they-belong."

These voter information booklets were mailed to every household in the state and were extremely valuable tools that helpled one, I found, to be an informed voter. I miss them here in Ohio.

So what I'm saying, sweet Drury, is that you good folks in California have even less reason to say, "I don't know what any of the issues are, blah, blah, blah, etc." I don't think that I've ever felt as prepared going into a voter's booth as I have in California. (In New York, the voting officials refused to even tell me how the voting mechinisms worked - they had something to do with pulling levers and opening and closing the curtains to the booth; it all looked a bit like the Wizard of Oz's booth where he conjured up that giant face that had steam coming out of his ears.)

This card, now that I read it over, seems like a bit of a digression from the main point I wanted to make, which is GET OUT AND VOTE, DAMMIT! ! If not for yourself, for Kristen Nicole, and the country that she will inherit from us grumpy grownups.