Get informed -- then get out and vote

Simply Sleight, by Kari Sleight

On Tuesday, voters from around the Valley, state and nation will head to the polls to cast a vote for their candidates of choice.

Reports from state election officials of unusually high numbers of absentee and early ballots coming in have everyone predicting an atypically high voter turnout this election day. I hope those predictions prove to be true; we have too much at stake this election year not to take the time to vote.

Nationally, the presidential race is shaping up to be another close one in which every vote will play a critical role in determining who will lead this nation for the next four years.

The war in Iraq and the war on terrorism seem to be the focal points of both campaigns and sifting through the campaign rhetoric spewing from both party camps isn't an easy task. It's all too easy to take a portion of any given statement and, with a little creative editing, make it fit a campaign issue.

This election may be one of the most important elections we've seen in recent times. Who we send to the White House will, no doubt, produce extremely different results.

Regardless of your stance on the war, one thing is clear; this country needs a strong leader in the White House, now more than ever. The impact of the tragic events of 9/11 is not temporary; those events changed our sense of security and exposed a vulnerability no one believed could or would happen on our soil.

The candidate we select to lead us for the next four years will have an incredible responsibility in keeping our nation safe and secure while moving forward in the arenas of business, health, education and world relations.

Closer to home, the race between former governor Tony Knowles and incumbent senator Lisa Murkowski is also too close to call, again making every vote a crucial one. As with the presidential campaign, we need to make sure we send a strong leader to adequately represent Alaska in our nation's capital.

We need a strong person who supports opening ANWR and will diligently work to see Alaska gets its fair share of federal funds for education, transportation, economic growth and social services.

The state House and Senate races have all the same implications as the statewide and national races. This is the first election I can recall since moving here in 1997 that has every race seriously contested.

As contentious as the coal-bed methane issue was, it did at least seem to drive home the point that who we elect to represent us does make a great impact on our lives and livelihood. Having local representation looking out for the best interest of Valley residents is critical.

Ballot Measure 2, asking voters to legalize or decriminalize marijuana in Alaska, will also appear on the ballot this Tuesday. Proponents of the measure are quick to point to examples of aggressive police force for seemingly small amounts of marijuana possession.

I've heard some supporters argue that those convicted of most marijuana crimes are not really criminals and marijuana use isn't really that big of a deal. Tell that to the families of Kenny Alcantra and Carol Cotting.

Kenny Alcantra is the 16-year-old boy who died from a gunshot wound sustained at the home of his longtime friend, then-16-year-old Shane Harapat. Harapat was recently convicted of manslaughter for Alcantra's death. Harapat's parents were also charged with reckless endangerment for the crime, partly because they knew their son smoked marijuana, did nothing to stop him and supplied him with guns.

Carol Cotting lost her life when, according to charging documents, her 16-year-old stepson, Colin, killed her during an argument and hid her body in a freezer while high on marijuana.

Legality aside, the health risks associated with smoking are high. America has spent years and millions of dollars trying to eradicate smoking and reduce the risk to those routinely exposed to secondhand smoke. Sure, it's not tobacco smoke, but is it any safer?

Another point proponents of Ballot Measure 2 like to argue is that current laws do not keep marijuana out of the hands of our children, while legalizing and regulating it will.

Get real. We've had age restrictions on alcohol and tobacco for years and we've yet to find a foolproof way to prevent underage drinking or smoking. You would have to, literally, be living with your head in the clouds (of smoke, maybe?) to believe we would be any more successful regulating marijuana than we've been in regulating alcohol and tobacco.

Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make informed, intelligent decisions at the ballot box on Tuesday. Your vote does count, perhaps more than ever.

Do your homework on all of the candidates before heading to the polls. As I mentioned above, it's a difficult task trying to sift through the campaign rhetoric, but I firmly believe we need to take a strong look at each candidate's past voting record, decisions and stances on issues.

Past performance is the best indicator of what the future will bring, not empty campaign promises and mudslinging accusations.

Kari Sleight is the publisher of the Frontiersman newspaper.