The presents were finally finished, wrapped, boxed, addressed, and ready for their turn in the line at the Post Office. Since I was so timely about finishing it all, the line was a bit long. It doubled back through the lobby, crossing the full front of the building. Then it curved around the bend at the end of the post office box lobby, which stretched the length of the building. Last week it came out the door and curved along the sidewalk. Of course, that wasn't as bad as it might have been, since while chilly, temperatures were still near 70 then.
Yes, of course I'm bragging. Mid December I finally had to turn on the furnace.
No, it wasn't the length of the line that was so annoying. After all, mea culpa for the timing. Usual lines are about 5 people waiting their turn at the counter at this post office. Nor were the people in it today grumpy about their wait. Conversations were happening, laughter was heard, especially over all the folks who poked their heads in and immediately turned back and left, as if there were a better time or place to ship out their parcels.
C'mon, a week before X-mas? Seriously? What? You have a time machine so you can arrive two weeks earlier? Snicker snicker.
No, what got under my skin was something that at first seemed like a wonderful thing, an intelligent way for somebody to help people while they had to stand around and wait anyway. There was a guy there with forms on a clipboard, ready to help register residents who hadn't gotten around to registering to vote yet. It matters right now, because our Congressional district just lost someone in the current sex scandal firing fever. A special election will be held early next year. Once registered, ballots get mailed out to each home of eligible voters.
So, good deed, right? Making it easier to have a real democracy?
After assuring him that both Steve and I (since it took both of us to get all the packages in the door) had been registered for years, and had previously voted from our current address, I had a few seconds to listen to him approach the next person entering the post office. It turned out to be a little less noble that I thought.
He firmly informed people who expressed interest that he was only registering Republicans or Independent voters!
Wait, what?
He would have turned me away had I needed to register? Is that how they load the voter rolls these days? Different opinions are cut off before they even start? Let's make it as difficult as possible for anybody else to get to vote?
Hey, Arizona would-be Democratic voters and activists, do you know what's happening out here?
Got a plan?
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