Friends in High Places

It was the events taking place in a small courtroom in Palm Beach County last week that sent me to the polls yesterday. I wasn't going to bother to vote. With the current political climate and all the negative ads, I wanted to put my head in the sand like an ostrich and just hide it out. But when Judge Debra Moses-Stevens awarded custody of 20 dogs to Animal Care and Control last week, I finally saw a victory in our favor. So maybe, I figured, just maybe our packing the courtroom did have an effect on the judge. Maybe she did take into consideration how important the lives of these animals are and ruled with kindness and a human heart. So maybe our being there made a difference, and maybe our voting makes a difference too. Of course it does.

With the results of the 2010 election comes good news and bad news. The good news is we've elected a Palm Beach County judge who will be an asset to animal advocacy. Marni Bryson is an "animal lover" and if she is seated as a judge in criminal court, maybe we will finally see some justice for animals being served.

On the other hand, the bad news is we lost Ron Klein, who, as a congressman, voted 99% in favor of the animals when he could. His humane scorecard was incredible. It's too bad we have replaced him with Allen West, who, for all we know, doesn't give a damn about animals. But maybe he'll surprise us.

Bad news, too, that Amendment Four did not pass. The big developers now have free rein to rape and pillage every last acre of green left in the state without having to first ask the community if that's what the community wants. Power to the people? Not in this case. Power to the powerful is more like it.

I know, I know, I sound like a single-issue voter. Guilty as charged. While I should be more concerned about my party. I'm not even sure what that is anymore. I was a Green, but I think I had to change my affiliation to Democrat to vote in the presidential primary.

I used to think the most important thing is for MY candidate to win. Now I believe the most important thing is that everyone votes. America is a "majority rules" place. How do we know what the majority wants if nobody votes? Maybe I lose, maybe I don't get my way. But that's not as important as the people speaking with one voice. I'm glad Obama is president, I'm sorry things are not going as planned, I'm hoping the GOP winners will extend a hand across the aisle. I am tired of our country being torn apart. I hope we can get some important work done and put egos aside. We all need friends in high places.