A PARABLE: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

[Stevepol]

Ms. Medya's 5th grade class in Fairvote USA had an election for class president between Johnny and Joe. When the votes were in, Johnny's best friend Karl takes the votes into a room by himself to count the votes. "Can we watch?" Suzie asks.

"No. That's not how it works in America," the teacher says. "Oh," Suzie says. "It doesn't seem right but I guess that's how it is."

Minutes later Johnny's friend returns. "Johnny won by 15 to 1."

But Joe has two friends, and they say, "But we voted for Joe, both of us."

"That's good to know," the teacher says, "but that has nothing to do with how we do it in America."

"We want to count the votes again," Joe says.

"You can't do that," Johnny's friend Karl says. "I burned the votes. All that's left is ashes."

"But that's not fair," Joe says.

"Now, Joe, we don't want to be a whiner do we? We have to accept the verdict of the vote. That's the way we do it in America."

Suzie says, "Joe you should accept the vote like Ms. Medya says and not be a whiner. That's not nice. Maybe you can win the next time. Even if it doesn't seem right, that's how it is."

"That's right, Suzie. This is how we do it in America."

"Oh, I'm so glad we had this election," Suzie says. "We've learned so much about democracy today. Thank you Ms. Medya."

[IndyOp]

1. I like it except --

Why is the crooked vote counter named - well - that name? Couldn't you name the crooked vote counter Karl? Tom? Dick? George? Kenneth? Katherine?

:shrug:

[Stevepol]

2. Criticism duly registered and emendations penciled in.

Feel free to alter the parable as you wish. It's a public parable.