Judge Foley Has an Order: Vote

On Wednesday my parents put Pocket in her crate, and left River, standing on her back legs, looking out the window, as they departed in their tiny white car.  My sisters were puzzled about their destination, but I knew, they were going to early voting.

Dogs don’t get to vote.  We are allowed to run for office, because of a quirk in the regulations.  Pocket ran the for the Massachusetts open Senate seat in 2000, and did surprisingly well, until she withdrew from the race, against my advice, after she pooped on the floor during a debate, certainly not the worst debate performance this century, but enough to shame Pocket.

It is a shame that dogs are not allowed to vote because only we, at least the nonworking ones, have a schedule flexible enough to study all sides of the issues and reach a reasoned decision.  Unfortunately, we are also the Lord’s most loyal creatures, and, when we enter the voting station, if our parents told us to vote a certain way, we would do it, even if it went against our interests because pleasing our parents is what we dogs do.  Word of how easily persuaded we are would spread, and unscrupulous characters would empty out the pound days before the election to put their candidate over the top, then return us once their mission was accomplished.

Here at the Bridge, where we have angels who have roamed these lands since the beginning of time, the right to vote is precious.  So many souls who were subjugated to the rule of others, without getting a say in their government, are thrilled that humans have the right to participate in government and elect their leaders.  They are stunned that people could have this precious right and not exercise it. The fewer people vote, the more unworthy their government becomes.

I beg you all, as a representative of those who never got the franchise, to make every effort to cast your vote this election.  I am not campaigning for one side or the other. Vote for who you want, but don’t let that vote define you. Your political views are a small slice of the pie that makes you the person you are.  Your neighbors, co-workers, relatives, and friends may not see the world the way you do and vote differently, but that does not make them a bad person. When judging a person do not just look at their political views, step back and see every piece of the pie.  The loving dog parents, the good companion, the supportive friend, and the caring mom or dad.

Here at Doggyspace, we stand united.  I wish I could say the same of the parents who helped us create our original online world.  Some of them are no longer friends because of who they for voted for. They may be only concentrating on a person’s single piece of the pie, or the person themselves overinflates the importance of that one slice, but it is a shame because what dogs have brought together no human should drive asunder.

So please, go vote for who you want, and then contact a friend you know voted the other way, and send them love, because, in the end, they are who you will rely on.  No one ever passed away surrounded by the people he voted for. Family and friends, more than a political alliance, gives you a rich life.


And of course, the dog.