The Role of Intelligence in American Society--A Mensan's View

[Demeter]

Yesterday I had the responsibility of serving as election inspector at the primary. This is a task I've been doing ever since the voting machine scandals of the Bush coup d'etat. I thought that my interests, and those of the nation, might be served by my observation, participation, and and understanding of HOW WE VOTE. Just doing my duty to vote wasn't cutting it.

I don't know if I'm making a difference. Any corruption of the voting process in Michigan would have to be higher than the precinct level. I have yet to see anything like voting fraud at the polling place.

We have a great training system for election workers, here in Ann Arbor. Our Clerk's office staff is everything one would want. There is the occasional poll inspector who is less than satisfactory--oftentimes it's because they have been doing it for decades and their advancing age has made them unable to complete a job that starts at 5 AM wake up and maybe is over by 9 PM. Other times, it's because the chairperson's ego dominates, and the chairperson's understanding that s/he is one among equals is non-existent.

Yesterday's experience was interesting. By random chance two Mensans were assigned to the same polling place, and the chair was the sister of a third (but not a member). The 4th lady was not by any means slow. You can't throw a rock around a college town like Ann Arbor without hitting a Mensa-qualified person.

One would think, that having grown up with a Mensan, the chair would have realized that one doesn't argue facts and procedures and interpretations without a really sound basis. When a Mensan, this Mensan, knows she is right, and can prove it, she will. The Clerk's office validated my position.

I felt caught up in a displaced sibling rivalry. Should I have done the "politic" thing, and let this woman lead us into the wilderness of doing endless useless work for no purpose? I'm getting older too. I wanted to go home.

In a way, this is the paradigm for discussion in America. We have people in charge who are PC to whatever sect they joined or were bought by, and we have people with factual, reality-based experience and detailed knowledge.

The people in touch with reality are not making the decisions and setting the policies around here.

This is why I think Elizabeth Warren hasn't a chance of getting the post for which she advocated and for which she is the premier qualified candidate. She makes everybody else in the Executive Branch look like the co-opted, grifter idiots they are.

[secondwind]

1. K&R, for all you are doing !

[Demeter]

2. Thank you!