“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.” – William E. Simon

I love elections and love the process, long and arduous as it might be. There is no greater opportunity to recognize and appreciate the fact that Americans really can choose the direction of their government. Every forecast is that today will result in the highest voter turnout in decades, possibly one for the record books. If you succumb to the apathy that many Americans do by telling yourself “my vote doesn’t matter”, then you have only helped to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I hope that you will make your voice heard and that as you consider your candidates of choice that you consider the following issues:

Where do the candidates stand on the issue of health care? What is their involvement and voting record?

Specifically, have the candidates you are considering been champions for fighting for the funding for research and treatment of mental illness and substance use disorders? A good place to start is to take a look at your candidates voting record on the recently passed “parity law” or the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424).

And another good question: what have the candidates done to fight the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use disorders?

We all have our important issues that we consider when voting. Don’t forget to vote for candidates who support behavioral health recovery and wellness!

Get out and vote! No excuses. It is your responsibility if you are going to participate in a Democracy!

This entry is filed under Blog.