Your editorial laments the poor voter turn-out in last week's general election and suggests local elections should be rescheduled to coincide with state and national elections ("A waste of time, money," Nov. 13).

But the real problem is the more general lack of participation in civic activities. For examples, one need only look at the decline in membership in community associations, school PTAs, even church attendance, where pastors have seen substantial drops.

Newspaper readership is down as well, with people opting to get their news from the Internet or one-minute segments on television. How can they call that staying "informed?"The only place where one finds an uptick is in TV and magazine advertising.

The conditions we are experiencing today like the Occupy Wall Street movement, where lawlessness prevails, bode even more trouble for the United States.

The press needs to return to its roots and sound the alarm. And it needs to cheer for the country, not just the college and NFL teams.

Richard L. Lelonek, Baltimore