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-- Programs and Services -- Contact Information Older adults can make a difference this presidential election
By Karen Shreefter
The old saying that the older I get, the smarter my parents get is based on truth—age often brings with it wisdom, and wisdom brings with it responsibility.
It is no secret that we are living in precarious times, and that means that older adults can use their vast store of experiences to help educate others about the importance of voting and set an example by voting—after all, most of us or our ancestors immigrated to this country for just such freedoms.
Former Texas Governor Anne Richards, who recently spoke in the Berkshires, called on her fellow citizens to encourage everyone they know and meet to register to vote, and then vote. She added, “I don’t tell them who to vote for, but instead say to them `I know you will make the right choice.’.”
We will see a lot of words flying back and forth this month, so it’s important to get both sides of the issues. Visit the candidates’ websites:
(http://www.johnkerry.com or http://www.georgewbush.com), watch non-partisan news shows, and watch the debates. According to the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, the moderators, schedule and locations are: Vice Presidential debate:
• Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Tues., Oct.5, Gwen Ifill, Senior Correspondent, The NewsHour, and Moderator, Washington Week, PBS;
Presidential debates:
(The first occurred in September)
•Washington University in St. Louis, Fri., Oct.8, Charles Gibson, Co-Anchor, ABC News Good Morning America
• Arizona State University, Tempe, Wed. October 13, Bob Schieffer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent, and Moderator, Face the Nation.