Election Day Thoughts
I wasn’t going to write about the election, but since it’s something I’ve actually spent a lot of time thinking about, I figured it would be okay to put something down in writing. Preferably, it will be something rational and cohesive, but at 5AM, anything will do. Here are my thoughts in some sort of list format:
By this point, you’re probably wondering who I’ll be voting for. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going to say. At least, not in this post. Feel free to speculate, or if you’re really curious, you can send me a private message via email or AIM. The purpose of this post wasn’t to sway anyone in any particular direction. I truly believe that everyone has the right to privacy. While I care who the next president will be (because I’ve taken the time to care), I have no interest in passing judgment on anyone. Whoever wins the election is going to have to figure out a way to unite the country. Forget about red states and blue states. How does that saying go? “United we stand, divided we fall.” If we could just find some sort of middle ground, the world would be a much better place.
- I am voting. It will be the second election I have voted in. I am proud to say that I’ve been registered to vote since I was 18. I know a lot of people my age (I am 24 now) that still haven’t registered to vote because they don’t think their vote will make a difference. I find this disheartening. More on this in a bit.
- I know who I’m voting for. I’ve known for about 2 months.
- Originally, I was not happy with the choices available. There was actually a period of two weeks or so when I was completely furious at all politicians and people my parent’s generation and older. Why? The way I saw it, they were the reason the world had gotten to the state it’s in. There are a bunch of old guys in suits starting wars that young men and women have to fight in. There are other old guys getting rich off of destroying the planet. In 20-30 years, who’s going to have to clean up the mess? Us. But we’re not going to because by then, we’ll have forgotten what it’s like to be twenty-something. We’ll have forgotten how it feels to just be getting out in the world. We’ll have forgotten how frustrating it is to feel unheard. We’ll think we have all the answers when we don’t. By then, we’ll be the jerks who start wars and wreck the planet. It’s a hopeless cycle, and it sucks. I told my parents this was how I felt and they said I was being overly dramatic. I disagreed, but got the point.
- Dwelling on the negative feelings serves no purpose. If I want the world to change, I’m just going to have to do my part, and this time, doing my part means getting informed, making a decision, and casting a vote. I researched the candidates. I read up on Obama and McCain and even several of the lesser known candidates (the ones who essentially have no chance at winning the election). The information is out there for anyone who wants it.
- What I learned:
- Making a decision is not going to be easy. It’s not supposed to be easy.
- The media reports on all sorts of pointless information. You can decide if you want to listen or not.
- There’s no such thing as the perfect candidate. I personally have always been about finding a balance in life, and I have found myself somewhere in the middle of both candidates. On some issues, I disagree with both candidates, and that’s okay.
- Just because you a registered Democrat or Republican does not mean you have to blindly follow party lines. Grow a pair and figure out what’s important to YOU.
- Both candidates have good intentions. No one likes taxes. No one likes unemployment. No one likes rising gas prices (except maybe gas companies). No on wants to be responsible for the destruction of the country. Such implications are ridiculous.
- The President is one person. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain will be able to solve all your problems. You’re going to have to do that for yourself. They might make it easier for you, but in the end, it’s all on you.
- Differing opinions is both expected and welcomed. The world would be a boring place if we all thought the exact same thing about everything.
By this point, you’re probably wondering who I’ll be voting for. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going to say. At least, not in this post. Feel free to speculate, or if you’re really curious, you can send me a private message via email or AIM. The purpose of this post wasn’t to sway anyone in any particular direction. I truly believe that everyone has the right to privacy. While I care who the next president will be (because I’ve taken the time to care), I have no interest in passing judgment on anyone. Whoever wins the election is going to have to figure out a way to unite the country. Forget about red states and blue states. How does that saying go? “United we stand, divided we fall.” If we could just find some sort of middle ground, the world would be a much better place.