Letter To the Editor
To the Editor:
This election season I had the honor of running for Anderson County School Board in District 3.
I would like to thank all citizens who supported and voted for me.
Although not elected to unseat the incumbent, I believe that our efforts, involvement, and interest helped to bring more voters to the polls. I will forward all concerns shared with me to our current school board members and will try to stay involved in the process.
Except for the absolutely absurd new practice of having to declare a party affiliation for local positions, I enjoyed the process of running for office. It allowed me to interact with many members of the community and to get to know the mission and purpose of other organizations that support children in Anderson County.
I especially enjoyed the Candidates Hand in Hand for Children fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center. There are many fine organizations supporting the youth of Anderson County and many fine people leading and supporting those organizations.
Thank you to all who turned out to vote in our local election. I must say as a first-time candidate for office, I was dismayed and disappointed at the low turnout in our county and in the state of Tennessee. Every vote counts! A cause is only hopeless if you give up hope or fail to participate.
When working to build a better community, it is essential that all voices are heard, no matter how seemingly futile the cause. Apathy can lead to governance by only those at the extremes of the issues. It can also make incumbents lazy and out of touch with the majority opinion. Democracy can be our greatest strength, but only if we all participate!
Sharon Burlingame
Heiskell