With the recent elections having now passed, and in response to the recent “Now What?” essay by Michael Niman, let me first engage in a few thoughts.

• With the recent mixed message of an election (GOP House, Dem Senate, and Obama presidency), it seems that the Democratic base determined the results thusly: They want their freebies, and they want their personal foibles (abortion and same-sex marriage, for examples) pandered to at every turn.

• Given the apparent above message from those in the Democrat base, let me thus ask these two things:

1. What about the rights of those of us who work and pay taxes to keep our lives in order? Why should we pay for the personal irresponsibility of those who can’t seem to keep their (stuff) together? Whatever heappened to, “If a man will not work, neither shall he eat”?

2. Furthermore, as a Christian (and I’m sure many in the Catholic, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Mormon, and other faiths would say the same), why should I be made to pay any kind of homage to the reckless, destructive, and otherwise deleterious behavioral tendencies of those whose behaviors grate against the established natural order of things, and why should I pay any tribute to those who want their “good time” without having to take responsibility for it? What about my rights to stand steadfastly by the tenets and teachings of my faith, and to not have to compromise on said tenets in the name of “keeping up with the times”?

With the above being said, I’d like to bring forth the following electoral reform ideas that are needed to keep our elecoral system honest, and more in tune with the American people’s true interests.

• First dibs go to our men and women in the Armed Forces. They fight for our freedoms; give them the first crack at the vote.

• You must have valid photo ID in order to vote. This should tell that you are who you claim to be, you are a US citizen, you are a legal resident of the district you’re voting in, and that you don’t have a felonious record.

• No allowances for the homeless at the voting booth; if you don’t have a legal address, you can’t vote.

• If you can’t be in your home district on Election Day, you must give legitimate reason in order to obtain an absentee ballot.

• If you believe that society owes you something just for existing, don’t vote.

• People should read/write/communicate in English, take something like US History/Civics 101, and pass with an acceptable grade, before being allowed to vote.

• Since Puerto Rico, Guam, and other territories are not yet states, remove the District of Columbia from the presidential vote.

• What is now called “Western New York” should vote under the name of Niagara, with five electoral votes, thus making the national total 540, with 271 needed to win.

• End “winner-take-all” nationwide. Nebraska and Maine should be the national standard, where their electoral votes are counted separately among the several Congressional districts; who wins the most districts gets the extra two Senatorial votes. This way, a truer picture of the interests and values of the American people would emerge…as opposed to the current method where the tightly-concentrated, large megalopoli skew the vote, thus giving them an unfair air of superiority over their supposedly “unsophisticated” brethren.

• Also apply Electoral College voting to US Senate (by Congressional District) and to governorships (by county).

• I recall that England once held back those who were “on the dole” (meaning, on welfare) from voting. Do they still do it? Why not do the same thing here?

Thank you.

> Lloyd A. Marshall, Jr., Lockport

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