But things changed

I use to vote because I was brought up believe voting was a right

a privilege, an obligation, a way to participate

when people voted for an certain political party or man in a party

they were supporting a political outlook , similar enough,

with some give and take, to their beliefs

about how they wanted the country to be run, how the country should be run

so therefore when a person voted they were showing faith

that politicians would abide by their word

do what they said they were going to do, implementing the will of the voters

if not zip- bang they were gone in heartbeat in the next election

you had to be 21 to vote or buy alcohol, an arbitrary number indicating adultness   

(but only 18 to buy cigarettes or go to Viet Nam)

All well and good for discourse in a political science class,

starting in grade school where we were taught to be good citizens,

or dinner table civics lessons, led by those who barely survived

the great depression and were determined to endow their children

with the social idea that politics was to provide for a more equal, the common good,

thus becoming a person’s public  social conscious

and in those days, those ideals became manifest

and people’s lives got better than they were during the great depression

people had jobs, schools had enough money, people could afford college

people could go to the doctor, save money, have a car, go on vacation,  

be a boy scout or campfire girl, and nobody dared call the president a liar,

(at least not in public)