Sorry, Your Vote Will Not Be Counted At This Time: Please Try Again Later

So I did my civic duty and voted early this week. After all the build-up to this mid-term election, it felt great to vote and get it over with. It gives me a license to ignore all political chatter between now and Election Day if I want to. (Being a politcal junkie, though, I probably won't be able to). Anyway, I highly recommend this voting thing.

There is one thing, though, that is bugging me. After I finished making all my selctions on the multi-page Dallas County ballot by touching my finger to the screen, I pushed a big, red "Vote"button on the top, and that was that. What assurance do I, or any voter, have that my ballot will actually be counted, and counted correctly? None whatsoever.

I'm a big fan of technology, but anyone who has used a computer (including you, presumably, if you're reading this) knows that they malfunction frequently. I think we really need a paper back-up system in voting, even if it does slow things down.

The Real Thing

I've been thinking about the horrible event in Pennsylvania Amish country. I don't want to think about it, but I can't help it.

Two things occur to me, and I'll keep it short. First, like you, I read and hear about human atrocities every day, but this one really got to me. I felt profoundly sad, and also angry, about what happened.

Second, when I read that the families of the victims consoled the family of the gunman, I could only feel awe. If it's true that these people can forgive the man who took their little girls, then what I must be seeing is true Christianity at work. I don't mean the kind that people talk about and may even convince themselves they have, I mean the real thing. I think it's more than most people could ever do, and it's the real story here.