Don't forget to vote tomorrow

It's our primary in Akron tomorrow. We live in a Democratic enclave here in Rubber City, home of rubber manufacturing memories, the Soap Box Derby and an annual golf tournament that Tiger Woods invariably wins.

Democrats run things here and have since the old staid Republican days of Roy Ray and John Ballard, who will always appear in my mind as small grey photographs scrunched into the corner of an Akron Beacon Journal news story from the 60s and 70s. But in the early 80s, Tom Sawyer turned the tide and Akron has voted for Democratic mayors ever since, and Democrats represent every ward in our city. In order to break into politics in our town, you have to battle an incumbent Democrat in the primary or wait for someone to retire or move on.

So as the Democrats wind up their campaigns, we would do well to remember that voting is a form of self-protection, even though it is not easy to find someone who represents your best interests. Perhaps we need to look for the one who realizes she or he must represent our collective best interests, and who is intelligent enough to work out equitable solutions when interests collide.

See ya at the polls!