Dear Editor,

In a recent talk in Lexington, Jon Meacham, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning biographer of George H.W. Bush, Thomas Jefferson and other American presidents, waxed optimistic about the survival of our democracy in these partisan times.

Why? Since the Reformation 500 years ago, he said, the rights of individuals have continued to grow and the rights of powerful “bosses” of various stripes have declined. Meacham said he votes for both Democrats and Republicans; he would never be so thoughtless and lazy as to pull a voting lever for every single candidate any particular party puts up. 

In Danville, it’s heartening to see campaign signs for both Democrats and Republicans in the yard of Don and Janet Hamner next to my “Jurassic Park” office and in the yards of many other enlightened Boyle Countians who keep our always-fragile democracy alive by learning about the experience and capabilities of individual candidates. 

Please: never stupidly and mindlessly pull one lever to please any self-styled “boss” of either political party. Ensure that the best candidate for each post is elected. Come to the candidate forums; vote for the best candidates for each office; do your part to help keep democracy vibrant in Boyle County!

Milton Reigelman

Danville