Jolly Solly: Voting Day
| May 3, 2017
F ishel and Faivish took little interest in world news as a rule being far too busy with important stuff such as football and bike riding.
However a newspaper lying on the kitchen table one day caught their attention. It showed a picture of a huge and very grand assembly hall with a gold seal prominently displayed in front of the room. The caption underneath read “United Nations General Assembly.”
“Ha. Taking an interest in politics at last ” Mr. Friedman commented as he rushed past jangling the keys to his gleaming minivan.
Fishel and Faivish didn’t hear him. They had eyes only for the picture. Their imaginations had been fired by the splendid scene.
“Wow! It’s posher than a palace!” breathed Fishel.
“Yeah ” echoed Faivish too awestruck to argue. The boys didn’t bother reading the attached article but a few words jumped up at them: Democracy. Voting. Debates.
“I’ve got an idea!” exclaimed Fishel.
“Oh yeah? Well so have I!” responded Faivish.
“I started talking first.”
“So what! I started thinking first.”
“You always think you’re right don’t you?”
“Yeah ’cos I am.”
Mrs. Friedman who overheard the boys arguing intervened.
“Hmm. This just underscores the need for some democratic discussion and debate don’t you think?”
Fishel and Faivish weren’t quite sure what democratic discussion and debate were and decided the safest response was to say nothing in case it turned out to be something unpleasant.
Mrs. Friedman continued.
“Next time if you disagree about something why not try voting on a solution instead of getting into a fight?”
The idea proved surprisingly appealing to the pair who were still under the spell of the newspaper piece.
“But what happens if it’s a tie?” wondered Fishel.
“We’ll get a third person to cast the deciding vote ” replied Faivish.
It didn’t take long for another disagreement to arise. Mrs. Friedman asked the boys to set the table for supper.
“I’ll do the silverware. You do the rest ” ordered Fishel.
“You mean I’ll do the silverware and you’ll do the rest ” retorted Faivish.
“No way!”
“Yes way!”
Fishel was about to make a fist when he suddenly stopped himself.
“Vote! I call for a vote!” he declared loudly.
“Well then I vote that I get to do the silverware ” Faivish declared immediately.
“I vote that I get to do the silverware ” countered Fishel.
Mrs. Friedman quickly spoke up.
“If it’s a tie you were going to ask a third party remember?” she pointed out. “Not me ” she added hastily having no wish to get caught up in one of their long-winded arguments. “I’m sure you can find someone else.” (Excerpted from Mishpacha Jr. Issue 658)
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