Last call for the gravy train, no mashed potatoes for YOU!…
*I’ve finally got something semi-intelligent to talk about. I’m only 18 years old, and the area behind my ears is still quite damp, but I’m just sharing with you my final thoughts on the REAL elections this Fall. For once, I’m not trying to be satirical or spiteful. I’m doing this partly to absolve myself of any apathy I feel will result in my decisions over the next few weeks. If you have something constructive to say, please share. If not, feel free to talk shit -- that’s what my little corner of the internet is used for.*
1) At this time, I will not be voting in the 2004 Presidential Election. I cannot, and will not, endorse a Presidential candidate I don’t trust with creating the illusion of security, prosperity, and national unity. I can’t stand the numbers game these guys play with budgets for intelligence, military defense, and homeland security. I am not a monkey who will respond accordingly to a color coded alert system that fleshes red when a terrorist attack is imminent. This election is not about money. It’s not about equipment. It’s not about manpower. We have the necessary resources to accomplish the most important tasks facing this country. Our team cannot be beat by anyone but ourselves. The electoral votes might end up changing the face of the problem, but it won’t fix it. I fully understand the criticism of, “Well if everyone thought like that, no one would vote.” My only response would be, “Thankfully most people don’t think like me.”
2) I will definitely be voting for my local and state officials. It really gives me a sense of pride knowing that I have a voice -- to elect men and women to represent my state on that dwindling hill of democracy. Research your options on the local level. These officials, when approached about concerns WILL listen. That is their duty. A five minute conversation you may have with someone might push them that much more towards realizing the scope of their job, especially if it’s a young person interested in progress. The government is like the food chain, you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. Then, hopefully before your generation’s brightest days have passed, you’ll have eaten the whole fucking thing and made way for something better. And yes, though I will be leaving the state of Texas shortly, I take this seriously because my family will still remain here.
3) Please don’t just cast a “straight party” vote. Not every Republican is ultra conservative. Not every Democrat is ultra socialist. You defeat the beauty of healthy dissent when you lump everything behind one party. If they are doing their jobs right, these officials will be able to compromise with each other, always keeping the welfare of their constituents in mind.
4) Relating to the Texas State Senate race, I will not endorse anyone who has not earned my vote, especially when they flee outside of the state and district they are supposed to represent as a means of protestation. That is cowardly, and I certainly hope my LJ friends in Texas take notice of that. It was unethical, and shameful on the part of those State Senators who fled Texas during the redistricting scandal.
Next time that you get upset over the casualties in Iraq, the federal deficit, and unemployment statistics…think about your representatives in Congress. Are they the same people you want working with your President?
In the past year or so that I’ve had this piece of shit journal, I never thought it’d come to this. But after the shit I read tonight all over the blogs (myspace to standard blogrings), I got fucking pissed. To think that I’ve been contributing to this massive pseudo-intellectual vacuum that sucks all known rationale out of the ass, I just had to say something of slight substance. I will not make any statements referring to Bush or Kerry until after election day. I don’t feel it’d be right, out of respect for the people who honestly feel they are in strong support of either candidate. And if anyone decides to disagree, I will ro-sham-bo him/her. TWICE!