He Votado!
Despite filling out a form for my absentee ballot in early September, it took multiple phone calls from my father, two absurdly expensive international calls from my cellphone, a 40 minute battle with the Internet cafe across the street, and a lot of unnecessary worry to finally vote.
And yes I realize my ballot won't arrive until long past Nov. 4, and won't even really count unless there's some major voting scandal, or a need for a recount. If it even arrives at all. And yes I realize that Maryland isn't a swing state and the electoral college likes to fuck you that way. And yes I am statistically insignificant and my vote is approximately .00014% of the total in just my county.
And yes, it is frustrating, this electoral ritual of ours. The months and months of vague rhetoric and cloudy ideas. The talking heads that discuss the effectiveness of spin rather than the viability of solutions. The blatant ignorance that still pervades the average American voter.
So why? Why participate in this strange 200 year old experiment of ours? Why, when it is a largely symbolic act?
So, my friends, I can one day tell children, and grandchildren that I voted no to Repeal Sections 311A, 311B, and 313A of the County Charter, regarding use of County funds to operate a landfill system on residentially zoned land; burying or trenching sewage sludge on residentially zoned land; and telephone service offered by the C&P Telephone Company. Sections of our county character that are actually invalidated by Maryland law.
(Though actually, whee!!!! part of history!)
And yes I realize my ballot won't arrive until long past Nov. 4, and won't even really count unless there's some major voting scandal, or a need for a recount. If it even arrives at all. And yes I realize that Maryland isn't a swing state and the electoral college likes to fuck you that way. And yes I am statistically insignificant and my vote is approximately .00014% of the total in just my county.
And yes, it is frustrating, this electoral ritual of ours. The months and months of vague rhetoric and cloudy ideas. The talking heads that discuss the effectiveness of spin rather than the viability of solutions. The blatant ignorance that still pervades the average American voter.
So why? Why participate in this strange 200 year old experiment of ours? Why, when it is a largely symbolic act?
So, my friends, I can one day tell children, and grandchildren that I voted no to Repeal Sections 311A, 311B, and 313A of the County Charter, regarding use of County funds to operate a landfill system on residentially zoned land; burying or trenching sewage sludge on residentially zoned land; and telephone service offered by the C&P Telephone Company. Sections of our county character that are actually invalidated by Maryland law.
(Though actually, whee!!!! part of history!)