Vote, don’t make Mom mad

My Mother is mad. Not good. No, not good at all. Most times she is happily nuts with a huge side of saintliness. Just ask anyone who knows her.

But in the last few days, well, someone ticked her off. I would rather face a rabid dog than the wrath of Mad Mom.

So who are the offenders? They are the folks behind the seven mailers sitting next to me on my desk, the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. All have nearly the same title, something like: “Voter Audit 2014 — Voter History Report Card.” They list her name, address and the years she voted. Along with a subtle and almost threatening message to publish her voting history from this year’s election. Six of these notices showed up on the same day last week.

This is called “ Shaming.”

Advocates of the practice claim this is a new way to get people to vote — by going into public records of voter rolls and then mailing lists of personally addressed individual voter histories. The lists don’t say who you voted for. That is illegal and very private. They only show the record of you showing up to vote or mail-in vote and the year. That is public record.

Now, this shady group, along with another group of equally shady characters called the “Alaska State Voter Program” (they have nothing to do with the state of Alaska at all) are sending out these mailers to unsuspecting Alaskans.

They are angering many including my mom. Big mistake guys. Really big mistake. Now don’t worry she is not going to go Rambo on anyone. She is going to do something much better. She’s going to vote.

This technique of shaming is going to, in my opinion, backfire in their collective faces. This tactic also could make people stay at home come Election Day. It could make them hold off sending in that early vote. I strongly urge everyone to resist that feeling of intimidation. Please vote and make your voices heard at the polls.

Ignore those shady types and their pitiful mailer campaigns. They are in deep doo-doo as far as my mom is concerned. Boy, do I pity them! What they pulled is just plain low in my book. But I’m not going let them have any power over me. Nor is my mother, not in a million years. And neither should you. We don’t need some shady characters from outside trying to “shame” us into doing what we have doing for years now. We vote with pride and attitude.

I will continue to urge others to do the same in print and on the air. But, as to this shaming thing, well, frankly it is not appropriate and borders on an invasion of privacy and voter intimidation. We are taking on our low voter turnout rates in our own ways. Somebody needs to send them a message. I’m going to suggest to my saintly mother —and she is — that she send all those mailers back to Americans for Prosperity with an honest heartfelt note telling them just where to go, along with a bar soap. I’ll pay for the postage.

It never pays to make Mom mad.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.