I truly am amazed when I listen to people complain about existing conditions on Long Island. I find myself more and more often injecting myself into their conversations asking, "Well, what are you doing about it?"

When I ask, "when's the last time you voted?" I usually get the same responses, "what good is that gonna do?" or " what's my one vote going to do? They're all a bunch of crooks anyway." Well, let me tell you what I think.

If you're not a part of the solution you're a part of the problem. Think about what's more important - going to a meeting once every two or three months to find out what's going on in your neighborhood or watching people eat bugs on the latest reality show; Sitting outside talking to your neighbors and friends or waiting to see who marries a millionaire. Taking a walk with your spouse or loved one and rediscovering your neighborhood or waiting to see what bachelor takes the money and runs.

Politicians pay attention to numbers, to communities who vote. If they see a certain school district or community that has 2,000 registered voters and only 200 voted in the last election while another community has 800 registered voters and 600 voted in the last election, who do you think will get their attention first?

We as a community need to voice our opinions, to agree or disagree, with our elected officials. We have the right to question decisions being made on our behalf that affect our quality of life. As Americans, it is our duty as citizens of this great nation to exercise that right. What other justification could there be for the tremendous cost associated with maintaining that right?

We should use our freedom to write a letter to an elected official and state our opinion on a topic we care about. Write a letter to a local newspaper. State your opinion. Let others disagree, but let your voice be heard. Visit and support your public library and other local non-profit organizations. Join a local community group. Write a letter of thanks to someone who is risking his or her life to protect ours. Write to a soldier who is risking his or her life every day to protect our freedom. Register to vote and actually vote. It doesn't matter for whom, as long as it's for whom you think will do the best job. And don't complain about your community unless you're willing to work to improve it.

In October, the Hicksville Community Council, in conjunction with the United Coalition of Hicksville Civics, will present two Meet the Candidates nights with the candidates up for election this year. The dates are Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 at the Hicksville Public Library. All of our incumbents who are up for re-election and their opponents, not including judges, are scheduled to attend. Mark the dates on your calendar now.

If you want to improve the community in which you live these are the elected offices that have the power to help us make that change.

Henry Goessmann