Protecting Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness on the Fourth of July
by Deb Lagutaris
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
I was delighted to have the time to volunteer for the voter registration table at the 4th of July parade in Half Moon Bay. We were set up about an hour before the parade began. A few people stopped by to register and some to chat.
The Coastside Democrats board originated the idea for a voter registration table at the parade. The Dems host such tables at most major community events. All comers are effectively registered, regardless of party orientation. Many of us are known in the community as members of the Democratic Party, so naturally the conversations turned around the upcoming election. We featured a flyer about the organization on the table. All of these activities are acceptable at voter registration tables. Some people at the table gave campaign materials to those who asked for them. This is also an acceptable activity at a voter registration table. The only unacceptable activity at a voter registration table is to dissuade someone from registering for the party of their choice, or trying to influence that choice.
Voting is the means that we are given to alter our government when it seems disinclined to protect our life, liberty, or ability to pursue happiness. Imperfect as this process may be, it tends to insure a measure of stability and peace in governing imperfect beings in an imperfect world. Naturally, anyone would want to help more people participate in shaping the character of their government. Or so I thought.
A tall elderly man walked up to the table, and asked us if we had read the Declaration of Independence lately. I allowed as how I had read it a couple of years ago. He said, well, you Democrats really ought to read it, gave us a nicely ribbon-bound copy and left. I reread the copy of the Declaration that he had provided, and wondered if he had a point, but did not pursue a dialogue with him.
He and his family were seated directly in front of our table, which was sited in front of City Hall. The tall elderly man told many passersby that we were only registering Democrats. One of the tablers told him that we were registering everyone, but he continued to spread this misinformation. He was also overheard to make many derogatory comments to passersby and table staff about “you liberals” that had no basis in fact and contained no substantive accusations.
He was a unpleasant soul. A young couple with a baby in a stroller politely asked him to step aside so that they could pass, and he did so, slowly, and with an expression of disgust. When the Coastside Land Trust passed by in the parade, he saluted them with an emphatic thumbs down.
We were also closely attended by a spy. This man stood on the sidewalk near us, ostensibly watching the parade. When someone approached the table to register, he stepped back, stood next to us, and closely observed what the person was writing and eavesdropped on our conversations. After I observed his behavior for about 45 minutes, I walked up to him and introduced myself. I asked him his name, and he did not respond in kind. I told him that I had noticed that he was observing our registration process, and told him that if he had any questions, that we would be happy to answer them. I handed him my business card.
He said that he liked it here in Half Moon Bay, and was planning to move here from Millbrae or San Mateo. When the parade ended, the spy left with the tall unpleasant elderly man. I wondered if they had felt that they had done a good day’s work in protecting the ideals under which the United States of America were established.
I know the name of the elderly unpleasant man and have his address. A sister tabler knows him and says that under ordinary circumstances, he is a civil individual. I wonder if I should stop by sometime and make him a proposition: If he will stop lying about us, we will stop telling the truth about him.
Following is an annotated text of the Declaration, obtained from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
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