"Mom, George took some of my marbles!"

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? I'm a mother and a grandmother and I recognize that 'tone of voice' no matter who is uttering the words. Would someone tell me why the country is suddenly spending all this tons of money for lawyers, judges, people work time, and ex-Attorneys-General, just to sort out the marbles?

It's almost two weeks since we all cast our ballots, or not as, the case may be. Let's put this thing to rest. These children don't seem to be grown up enough to accept the count without spending millions of Uncle Sam's dollars looking for dimples in chads.

I voted. I feel that my vote counts, but I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right choice. I want a leader, not a little kid running the country. But, Mom! (appeal every legal decision), But, Mom! (recount again), But, Mom! (get the magnifying glasses … count the bumps) . But me no buts, not only are the marbles in contention, how about little Al's conceding publicly and then announcing he didn't mean it. Is this legal? Don't the voting regulations cover this contingency? If he becomes the president, does he feel that he can take back everything he has promised the voters? "I'm, sorry, I can't allocate the money for education … it was all used up by the election law suits."

So while, as in the school yard, the two boys fight it out with all their high priced entourages, the spectators from around the world stand by, watch, applaud, laugh, and wonder what in the world has happened to this great democracy that has been showing them the way all these years. We have become World "Comedy Central." We have all the innuendoes, accusations, legal hassles, finger pointing, and unending money flow as the latest greatest TV soap opera.

Oh say can you see by the dawn's early light, how the presidential candidates just want to fight….

Come on, kids, pick up your marbles and dimpled chads and go home … it's way past your bed time!

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Copyright BZ Leonard 2000 All rights reserved
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