Kathleen has a unique message for many markets.

AWAKE, AWARE AND PROUD OF IT

OK — where the heck did they go? That citizen of the century who started the obviously false rumor that my one vote doesn't count so I don't bother to vote. Surely, this election mess must be their fault. Perhaps they should have had to count and recount all votes everywhere, so we could hear the collective voice of all voting Americans.

Or perhaps this election with all its puzzle parts really isn't a mess. Perhaps Election 2000 is one of the greatest gifts this nation has been given since the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. This is my personal perspective on the situation.

Oh, I know lots of folks and lots of nations are smirking, smiling and deriving great pleasure from watching the 'payback is heck' scenario taking place in the Land of Leadership, AKA the United States of America. The World Wide Web is replete with cartoons, poems, quizzes and all manner of lip benders highlighting election absurdities.

Some folks are ashamed of having a presidential election become a spectator sport. Others are sending up alarms that this election process marks the end of our ability to govern this nation.

Admittedly, the humorous side of this I enjoy. There really is nothing quite like American humor to get to the heart of a matter. Unless, of course, its Canadian humor; renowned for showing no mercy or giving any quarter to the assessment of public processes and people.

Why am I not ashamed of our country or its' political processes relative to this election? Because through it all, and all that is yet to come, Americans have demonstrated their fundamental respect for abiding by the laws and processes to settle disputes. Impatience has not over ridden our national desire to utilize all courses of action as laid out under law.

Even the race baiting maneuvers of the Jesse Jacksons of the world could not dislodge our national patience to let the legal processes work.

Let us be clear! Our national embarrassment and shame is not with our nation's election, public processes or legal recourses used to solve problems. That's called going by the rules. Our national embarrassment and shame is having the global village witness our fellow Americans try and explain how they could be so easily confused by a familiar voting ballot, yet be able to wield five bingo cards simultaneously at a table with a dozen other folks. Their candidate, Al Gore, exploiting this 'weak link', also does not make us proud.

However not many other nations of such geographic size; religious, ethnic, cultural and economic diversities; populated with citizens free from birth to voice their opinions would have continued on day-to-day with overriding civility while legal avenues are accessed and exhausted in determining the winner.

Americans have been quietly demonstrating to the world since November 7th what it means to have a democratically run Republic. Our first reaction to settling this election has not been to declare a national emergency, send tanks into the street, or cut lines of communication. No, our first and continued national reaction to such a problem as this has been…OK, what's the legal path down which we go to find a solution. We should give ourselves credit for this. We are a nation that respects laws and public processes.

Election 2000 is a gift of reawakening our citizens to the absolute value of each person's vote. Long over due, Election 2000 is a wake up call about the destructive natures of apathy and of disdain for personal responsibility. All of a sudden the unregistered voter, the apolitical person and even the unconscious are taking note, listening to the news and musing over how this all could possibly have happened.

The global village has become accustomed to the ho-hum regularity of American elections. They come and they go--------no big deal, no big problems, until now. Perhaps our generally smooth elections decade after decade have lulled not only ourselves, but the rest of the world into thinking that nothing big could go wrong with a United States presidential election.

Voter apathy, far too long the unrecognized 'third party' of America has finally exercised enough muscle to produce Election 2000. The cumulative political effects of not being involved; letting a few carry the load; criticizing rather then caring have sounded the wake up call.

However, without bloodshed or terror, Americans have responded to the needs of their Republic by turning to the public processes in place and the laws of this land for solutions. This is nothing of which to be ashamed. We should take pride in the fact that we were, in fact, prepared for such a turn of events.

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