Dear Editor:

Our men and women in uniform have put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms and there is no greater expression of this freedom than our right to choose our leaders.

This past election has demonstrated that there can be a lot of improvements in increasing voter participation at the polls.

Let us honor our veterans by making Veterans Day the Federal Election Day. This is a day that many wage earners have off and will give them easier access to the polls.

The traditional date of the first Tuesday of November was chosen by Congress to accommodate farmers 175 years ago. But times have changed. The voters of today are mostly wage earners and giving them the day off would be a significant accommodation.

This is one of many excellent and practical proposals made by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship in their publication “Our Common Purpose.” This publication is available free online at www.amacad.org/ourcommonpurpose

As a country we have been torn apart by interests that have little love for our democratic principles. We have been distracted by divisive rhetoric and many seem to have lost sight of what our freedom is founded upon.

Whatever else we believe in, let us at least agree that it is through our democracy that we enjoy our freedom to democratically choose our leaders. Let us make this our common purpose.

The greatest honor we can bestow on those who put their lives on the line to defend our democracy is to celebrate that democracy in their name by enabling more citizens easier access to the polls.

Fred W. Nehring

Boothbay