The Voting Rant
Another midterm election come and gone. Another chance for the youth of this nation to have their say. That is, if they can be bothered to take the time. The united states has an average voter turnout rate of 54% of eligible voters over the past 40 years. 33 democracies worldwide have higher voter turnout rates, including countries such as Estonia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Bolivia. Speaking of which, maybe we should take a leaf out of Bolivia's book. In Bolivia you can be fined 3 months salary for failing to vote. After all, let me make myself clear, voting is not a right. VOTING IS A DUTY. Still, the law shouldn't have to force people to vote. People should desire to vote, to have their say in what happens to their country.
Also, why has their not been in upswing in youth voting? How many people do I personally know who demanded politcal activism and political consciousness in their youth? Did you all vote? Then you get into the people who come up with excuses like "I have to work, I can't go vote." Oh, yes I completely empathize with you. The government really needs to come up with a way for you to vote if you can't make it to the polls. They can even give it some really crazy name like an "absentee ballot". All of you who don't bother to vote make me sick.
What makes me even more sick is the people who choose the lesser of two evils. Of all my fellow green party members, how many of you actually voted for Gail Parker? Maybe 50%? Less, probably. No, most of you probably said "Oh, Parker has no chance. We'll vote Webb, at least he's not as bad as Allen." NO. The only way we will ever crush the ruling bipartisan system is for third party supporters to vote their candidates. Not the candidate you think is least bad of those who are likely to win, but the candidate you think should win. And maybe Parker would have gotten 5% instead of 1%. But people would notice that. And next time, more people will look at the third parties. And maybe next time somebody will get 10% or 15%. And next thing you know, we have a functioning, progressive government with 3, 4, 5, or more political parties all contributing, instead of just two parties, one centered yet calling themselves liberal, and one with their noses in the ass of the religious right.
So how 'bout being americans, and working for change? Exercise your duty to vote. And vote your heart, instead of being afraid to piss anybody off.
Also, why has their not been in upswing in youth voting? How many people do I personally know who demanded politcal activism and political consciousness in their youth? Did you all vote? Then you get into the people who come up with excuses like "I have to work, I can't go vote." Oh, yes I completely empathize with you. The government really needs to come up with a way for you to vote if you can't make it to the polls. They can even give it some really crazy name like an "absentee ballot". All of you who don't bother to vote make me sick.
What makes me even more sick is the people who choose the lesser of two evils. Of all my fellow green party members, how many of you actually voted for Gail Parker? Maybe 50%? Less, probably. No, most of you probably said "Oh, Parker has no chance. We'll vote Webb, at least he's not as bad as Allen." NO. The only way we will ever crush the ruling bipartisan system is for third party supporters to vote their candidates. Not the candidate you think is least bad of those who are likely to win, but the candidate you think should win. And maybe Parker would have gotten 5% instead of 1%. But people would notice that. And next time, more people will look at the third parties. And maybe next time somebody will get 10% or 15%. And next thing you know, we have a functioning, progressive government with 3, 4, 5, or more political parties all contributing, instead of just two parties, one centered yet calling themselves liberal, and one with their noses in the ass of the religious right.
So how 'bout being americans, and working for change? Exercise your duty to vote. And vote your heart, instead of being afraid to piss anybody off.