Today I said this and I thought I'd put it here.
Titled: I voted and all I got was this stupid sticker.
I believe in voting locally... and will totally vote regardless (probably out of the whole guilt because if you don't vote you don't care bullshit people like to tell everyone... really...), but personally, I really feel that voting nationally is more of a way to FEEL like your doing something. To at least attempt to wipe the blood off your hands.
Look at the past. Not just the whole Bush-stole-the-election things. But the history. Sure, things were done, but it wasn't, generally speaking, because of a vote. Or at least all because of a vote. Civil rights didn't happen because everyone said so. Overthrowing (which is obviously what we NEED) doesn't happen by going to the ballots on Election Day. It was because there were people who got pissed the fuck off and weren't satisfied with JUST voting. And just because a lot of people voted for slavery doesn't mean its the way to go. Jim Crow Laws were voted for... Then they were voted against afer they were put into effect. And the supreme courts looked at them and decided they were TOTALLY constititional.. And then when they started dismantling the Jim Crow Laws, it wasn't because everyone went to the ballots on the state assigned day. It was because a few people wouldn't wait until then... You KNOW Rosa Parks didn't sit in that seat because everyone VOTED for it...
When the white people and the BI fucking A (if I could just get my fucking hands around THEIR fucking necks, right?!) were rounding up the Natives, they gave the Natives a chance to vote... But just because they were given a few things to choose from didn't mean they were thrilled. And you know, some thought, "well, I might as well vote between these few things because I have no other option. And maybe it'll stop the killing of my people. Maybe it'll make the lives of my children and grandchildren better than what it COULD be if we didn't... "And then they were killed off anyway. With guns. With disease. With starvation. Without dignity. With the bottle. And some people didn't. Following their old men, they finally stood up. Because these old men didn't know anything about the white way of voting, other than the deception. And you know what, they died too. But with pride. That they didn't just sit back and vote. And maybe they didn't get much. Maybe they still don't have much. (Seriously, Pine Ridge and Rosebud are sad places.) BUT, they have the story to say at least they fucking tried and didn't JUST vote.
Custer didn't get his fucking balls cut off just because the BIA asked everyone to raise their hands for it.
The whole idea of don't bitch unless you vote kind of upsets me. Because really, we SHOULD be bitching. Everyone should. This shit fucking sucks. And it's not going to change because we check a little box. Because that check means less than actually doing something about it. And just because a bunch of people think something's the right way, doesn't mean it's the right fucking way.
I'm going to vote. I'm going to vote because I can. And because a part of me still thinks that I'll feel some relief. But I know that it's not going to make this place right. Make the change in your life. Make the small steps. Because each small step grows bigger. Like a snowball rolling down a fucking mountain. Turn your life into a fucking avalanche by the time you're outta here. That'll mean something. And you can slap your "I VOTED" sticker on. And tell everyone you voted but what really changed shit was the way you lived your life...
I believe in voting locally... and will totally vote regardless (probably out of the whole guilt because if you don't vote you don't care bullshit people like to tell everyone... really...), but personally, I really feel that voting nationally is more of a way to FEEL like your doing something. To at least attempt to wipe the blood off your hands.
Look at the past. Not just the whole Bush-stole-the-election things. But the history. Sure, things were done, but it wasn't, generally speaking, because of a vote. Or at least all because of a vote. Civil rights didn't happen because everyone said so. Overthrowing (which is obviously what we NEED) doesn't happen by going to the ballots on Election Day. It was because there were people who got pissed the fuck off and weren't satisfied with JUST voting. And just because a lot of people voted for slavery doesn't mean its the way to go. Jim Crow Laws were voted for... Then they were voted against afer they were put into effect. And the supreme courts looked at them and decided they were TOTALLY constititional.. And then when they started dismantling the Jim Crow Laws, it wasn't because everyone went to the ballots on the state assigned day. It was because a few people wouldn't wait until then... You KNOW Rosa Parks didn't sit in that seat because everyone VOTED for it...
When the white people and the BI fucking A (if I could just get my fucking hands around THEIR fucking necks, right?!) were rounding up the Natives, they gave the Natives a chance to vote... But just because they were given a few things to choose from didn't mean they were thrilled. And you know, some thought, "well, I might as well vote between these few things because I have no other option. And maybe it'll stop the killing of my people. Maybe it'll make the lives of my children and grandchildren better than what it COULD be if we didn't... "And then they were killed off anyway. With guns. With disease. With starvation. Without dignity. With the bottle. And some people didn't. Following their old men, they finally stood up. Because these old men didn't know anything about the white way of voting, other than the deception. And you know what, they died too. But with pride. That they didn't just sit back and vote. And maybe they didn't get much. Maybe they still don't have much. (Seriously, Pine Ridge and Rosebud are sad places.) BUT, they have the story to say at least they fucking tried and didn't JUST vote.
Custer didn't get his fucking balls cut off just because the BIA asked everyone to raise their hands for it.
The whole idea of don't bitch unless you vote kind of upsets me. Because really, we SHOULD be bitching. Everyone should. This shit fucking sucks. And it's not going to change because we check a little box. Because that check means less than actually doing something about it. And just because a bunch of people think something's the right way, doesn't mean it's the right fucking way.
I'm going to vote. I'm going to vote because I can. And because a part of me still thinks that I'll feel some relief. But I know that it's not going to make this place right. Make the change in your life. Make the small steps. Because each small step grows bigger. Like a snowball rolling down a fucking mountain. Turn your life into a fucking avalanche by the time you're outta here. That'll mean something. And you can slap your "I VOTED" sticker on. And tell everyone you voted but what really changed shit was the way you lived your life...