I am frustrated, angry and ridden with disappointment. On Tuesday, April 7th, the three towns making up the Chariho Regional School District, Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond, were called to utilize their right to vote. As a community – SHAME ON YOU. There exists a total of 17,649 eligible voters in the tri-town district, of that total only 1053 of the 17,649 came out to vote on the school budget referendum, that calculates to less than 6% of the total population. Simply this exercise of our civil liberties proved to be a disgrace.

First and foremost, how do we honor our children and grandchildren with not exercising our right to vote, regardless whether the outcome would have been yea or nay. No excuse exists. I myself took my three young children, ages 7, 3 and 11 months with me, after a full day working, making dinner and fulfilling the other obligations of the day. Polls were open a total of 12 hours. How do we expect our children to have any desire to make a difference or participate in bettering our world if we don’t demonstrate and model such behavior?

Secondly, what a slap in the face to our school committee, whom we have voted into office, and has tirelessly worked on a proposed school budget. Despite how you as a Charlestown, Richmond, or Hopkinton voter would have cast your ballot, you owe it to yourself and your leadership to do your part as an American citizen. This complacency needs to stop here. The budget was not passed by a single vote. All that was needed was 1 vote out of the 16,596 no shows. Rather we as the Chariho School community have allowed 527 citizens (3% of our total population) to squash the proposed school budget.

My hope is that the other 97% of the Chariho Community that is reading this letter will come to realize that their voice must be heard, that in every essence – every vote counts. The right to vote is free, we should be compelled and obligated to exercise that right, for we have thousands of American men and women protecting that right as you read this last sentence. It’s the least we can do.

Stephanie Lenihan