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Show EDITORIAL: The Right To Complain The people of Democratic countries have always held sacred sac-red their right to complain. All of us are justly conceited enough to think that when something some-thing isn't working out right, we have the right, even the duty to say why it isn't. But sometimes the right to complain is abused. You get those chronic cranks who aren't satisfied with anything or anybody, any-body, with the possible exception excep-tion of themselves; or those few unfortunate bigots who have reached infallible conclusions on such intangible topics as religion, reli-gion, economics and politics. But they are the exceptions. Most people value their own opinions, but yet respect those of others. A sharp difference of opinion will become apparent at the Nov. 8 city election. There are three tickets and many capable, honest candidates to seek public pub-lic approval. Most people know about this election, but how many of them will find time to vote come Nov. 8? Statistics show that seldom do more than 50 per cent of the qualified voters vot-ers go to the polls in any election. elec-tion. Still it is true that a person who can't find time to vote, also al-so doesn't have the time to com- plain about who is elected. He forfeits that right when he doesn't vote. Elected officials are accountable only to the voters. vot-ers. So what? Some voters excuse their negligence by comfortably assuming that city government doesn't matter anyway, that it is nothing but "politics." But do they stop to realize that, in most instances, what the city council does or does not do strikes home a lot harder than what is done in Congress? National Na-tional government is remote: Such matters as the national debt and the atomic bomb are beyond the horizon. But the City '""unci! inevitably inevi-tably hears the complaints about city taxes that are too high, and an inadequate water supply. sup-ply. Those matters cause friction, fric-tion, here. Undeniably, city voters have a stake in next week's election. The only way to get an efficient city council is to vote for efficient" ef-ficient" men to compose it, possible pos-sible only if voters exercise wise selection, regardless of party affiliation, af-filiation, and then go to the polls to put their ideas into effect., That's how grassroots democracy democ-racy is supposed to work. |