Election Day 2008!
My Fellow Americans,
It's that time again, and boy has it been a long time in coming. Once again, it's Election Day! And in honor of Election Day, I'm going to repost my perennial "don't vote - don't complain" Public Service Announcement - with a few addendums.
Now, I could go on and on about the patriotic duty to vote. I could mention the men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. I could waive a flag and sing God Bless America, and try desperately to guilt you into voting.
I'm not going to do any of that.
What I am going to say is simply this: You don't vote - you don't get to complain.
Here in the U.S. we have a Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote for our leaders, and thereby, the decisions those leaders make once elected. If you don't like the decisions your Assemblymember, or Congressman, or Senator, or even President is making, ask yourself one simple question: Did I vote last election?
If you did, and the person you voted for wasn't elected, or even if they were elected and aren't making the decisions you think they should, then feel free to stand up and shout your displeasure from the rooftops. That's your job as a citizen. Leaders are elected by the will of the people, and are therefore subject to the will of the people. If they aren't doing what you think they should be doing; if they aren't making decisions and voting on legislation you think they should be voting on, then by all means call them on it. Otherwise what's the point of having an election in the first place? Your vote is precious. It's personal. And it matters. Don't ever think it doesn't.
It's easy to become disillusioned with voting in this media crazed era. Exit polls tell us who the winners are long before the votes are finally counted. Complacency makes us doubt that we even need to vote - because our choice has either clearly won, or clearly lost.
Don't feed into this.
If there's a candidate you like, vote for him or her! Make it a landslide - the more votes they have, the more power they have behind them. Give them a huge mandate to lead. And if your candidate is bound to lose - vote anyway! Cut the margin of victory for the opponent. Don't let them think it was an easy race to win. Make them remember there is a good portion of the populace that doesn't agree and is going to be watching their every move and every decision.
And for those of you who didn't vote in the last election - don't complain. If you think the country is on the wrong track, don't complain. If you are upset by the sex scandals and intelligence scandals, and general level of mayhem in the government at every level, don't complain. If you think anyone, even a monkey, could do a better job of running the city or state or country, don't complain. You had your chance to take a stand. You had your chance to make a difference and elect leaders who were responsible to you and your issues. You missed out. You don't get to complain about anything that's happened in the last election cycle.
But there's good news. If you didn't vote last time around - and by my rules, are thus precluded from complaining - you can change all of that tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Election Day.
Tomorrow you can go to the polls and take a stand.
You can remind our leaders that they are responsible to YOU the VOTER. Not the special interest groups. Not the Political Parties. Not the Campaign Donors. You. All the money in the world can't buy your vote. Money can buy ads on TV and lawn signs, but when you walk into that voting place, the money stops at the door. All that's left is you and your vote. No one can pull that lever for you. You decide who you want as the next Assemblymember, or Senator, or Dog Catcher.
It is your right to vote, and conversely, it is just as much a right NOT to vote. But if you choose not to exercise your right, if you choose not to take part in the most fundamental aspect of government, then my earlier statement stands. If you don't vote - you don't get to complain.
We have one chance every couple of years to assert ourselves, to make our issues known, to demand an accounting from our leaders for their actions. Don't let that pass you by.
I willingly admit I'm a Democrat, but parties aren't what voting is about. Voting is finding the person YOU want to lead, whether they are a Democrat, Republican, or Socialist. Who do you think will do the best job of representing your ideals? your vision of the future?
I'll leave you with one final message, that sadly, wasn't written by me, but by Aaron Sorkin of the West Wing. He managed to say in three lines of dialogue what I've been trying to get across in thirty. Thus the reason he has an Emmy or two and I have none.
"Think government isn't about you? How many of you have student loans to pay? How many have credit card debt? How many want clean air and clean water and civil liberties? How many want jobs? How many want kids? How many want their kids to go to good schools and walk on safe streets? Decisions are made by those who show up. You gotta rock the vote!" ~ CJ Cregg, the West Wing.
For more information on voting tomorrow please visit the League of Women Voters at: http://www.vote411.org/
On another note - for anyone in California, for anyone who *knows* someone in California, please vote NO on Prop. 8. It's discriminatory, it's hateful, it's wrong. Oh, and if you could see fit to vote No on Props 4, 5, 6, 9, and 11 I would really appreciate it too. *g*
There's never been an election as important as this one. Please Vote!
PSA over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled fic reading...
It's that time again, and boy has it been a long time in coming. Once again, it's Election Day! And in honor of Election Day, I'm going to repost my perennial "don't vote - don't complain" Public Service Announcement - with a few addendums.
Now, I could go on and on about the patriotic duty to vote. I could mention the men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. I could waive a flag and sing God Bless America, and try desperately to guilt you into voting.
I'm not going to do any of that.
What I am going to say is simply this: You don't vote - you don't get to complain.
Here in the U.S. we have a Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote for our leaders, and thereby, the decisions those leaders make once elected. If you don't like the decisions your Assemblymember, or Congressman, or Senator, or even President is making, ask yourself one simple question: Did I vote last election?
If you did, and the person you voted for wasn't elected, or even if they were elected and aren't making the decisions you think they should, then feel free to stand up and shout your displeasure from the rooftops. That's your job as a citizen. Leaders are elected by the will of the people, and are therefore subject to the will of the people. If they aren't doing what you think they should be doing; if they aren't making decisions and voting on legislation you think they should be voting on, then by all means call them on it. Otherwise what's the point of having an election in the first place? Your vote is precious. It's personal. And it matters. Don't ever think it doesn't.
It's easy to become disillusioned with voting in this media crazed era. Exit polls tell us who the winners are long before the votes are finally counted. Complacency makes us doubt that we even need to vote - because our choice has either clearly won, or clearly lost.
Don't feed into this.
If there's a candidate you like, vote for him or her! Make it a landslide - the more votes they have, the more power they have behind them. Give them a huge mandate to lead. And if your candidate is bound to lose - vote anyway! Cut the margin of victory for the opponent. Don't let them think it was an easy race to win. Make them remember there is a good portion of the populace that doesn't agree and is going to be watching their every move and every decision.
And for those of you who didn't vote in the last election - don't complain. If you think the country is on the wrong track, don't complain. If you are upset by the sex scandals and intelligence scandals, and general level of mayhem in the government at every level, don't complain. If you think anyone, even a monkey, could do a better job of running the city or state or country, don't complain. You had your chance to take a stand. You had your chance to make a difference and elect leaders who were responsible to you and your issues. You missed out. You don't get to complain about anything that's happened in the last election cycle.
But there's good news. If you didn't vote last time around - and by my rules, are thus precluded from complaining - you can change all of that tomorrow.
Tomorrow is Election Day.
Tomorrow you can go to the polls and take a stand.
You can remind our leaders that they are responsible to YOU the VOTER. Not the special interest groups. Not the Political Parties. Not the Campaign Donors. You. All the money in the world can't buy your vote. Money can buy ads on TV and lawn signs, but when you walk into that voting place, the money stops at the door. All that's left is you and your vote. No one can pull that lever for you. You decide who you want as the next Assemblymember, or Senator, or Dog Catcher.
It is your right to vote, and conversely, it is just as much a right NOT to vote. But if you choose not to exercise your right, if you choose not to take part in the most fundamental aspect of government, then my earlier statement stands. If you don't vote - you don't get to complain.
We have one chance every couple of years to assert ourselves, to make our issues known, to demand an accounting from our leaders for their actions. Don't let that pass you by.
I willingly admit I'm a Democrat, but parties aren't what voting is about. Voting is finding the person YOU want to lead, whether they are a Democrat, Republican, or Socialist. Who do you think will do the best job of representing your ideals? your vision of the future?
I'll leave you with one final message, that sadly, wasn't written by me, but by Aaron Sorkin of the West Wing. He managed to say in three lines of dialogue what I've been trying to get across in thirty. Thus the reason he has an Emmy or two and I have none.
"Think government isn't about you? How many of you have student loans to pay? How many have credit card debt? How many want clean air and clean water and civil liberties? How many want jobs? How many want kids? How many want their kids to go to good schools and walk on safe streets? Decisions are made by those who show up. You gotta rock the vote!" ~ CJ Cregg, the West Wing.
For more information on voting tomorrow please visit the League of Women Voters at: http://www.vote411.org/
On another note - for anyone in California, for anyone who *knows* someone in California, please vote NO on Prop. 8. It's discriminatory, it's hateful, it's wrong. Oh, and if you could see fit to vote No on Props 4, 5, 6, 9, and 11 I would really appreciate it too. *g*
There's never been an election as important as this one. Please Vote!
PSA over. We now return you to your regularly scheduled fic reading...