The bottom of the barrel, for me, far worse than Dembots or Republicanbots is the person who doesn’t vote. The person who has given up on politics altogether. And about 40% of Americans didn’t even bother to do just that, only about 55% voted in Election 2004.
It upsets me because millions died for the Democracy we have, millions of not only Americans but soldiers from all over the world. To me voting is about respect for them, acknowledging the political system that they died for, although far from perfect, it is still better than any other political structure in the world. Voting is a duty, a responsibility and an acknowledgment of the cause of Democracy itself. If there is only one time to vote each 4 years it is the Presidential election.
Those who have given up in frustration over the Democrats and Republicans have third party candidates to choose from. There is always a choice. It is a small amount of time taken on election day to pull a lever, to cast a ballot and it should be out of respect for the millions who have died for you to have the freedom to do just that.
“But it doesn’t matter!” the cynic responds, “nothing changes, there are no real choices.”
Why should I vote when right behind me is someone who is going to cancel my vote by voting for Sarah Palin because they like her eye glasses!” How ridiculous is that in canceling my vote which is a result of hundreds of hours of my own time carefully reading the policies of each side, analyzing them and making an informed vote on what I think is best for America. Why should I vote when this happens ?
The answer is that voting is not about you. When I vote it is not about me, in fact it has very little to do with me. I make the decision of course but I long ago realized like many others that who the President of the United States is or is not will have very little impact on my life. Maybe a little tiny bit but certainly not a lot. I will get up in the morning on Nov 5, 2008 no matter who is President, and I will still work, I will pay my bills, I will pray my family has good health, I will pursue my dream, I will pursue my happiness and every once in awhile I may stop and even realize that I am happy for a brief moment.
I do not vote to pick someone to change my life or improve it dramatically, no ultimately, I think that is up to me and always has been but I do vote out of respect of those who have died for me to do so. To me election day is about freedom to pick our leaders who in my view are not much more than the personification of our nation to the rest of the world. I also do not think the American people have ever gotten it wrong. Even election 2000.
Many people forget how hollowed out and stiff Al Gore was compared to George Bush in Election 2000. This is of course long before his famous film. Many people forget that George Bush with all his numerous flaws and gaffes won votes largely because he listened to certain groups of Americans and spoke for them. Now we may not like those groups or be a part of them, Christians, the NRA, Pro-Life advocates but what did Gore do ? He essentially ran a safe campaign free of any blatant gaffes, aside from that claim to invent the internet. He didn’t take risks and I think he rightly lost for running such a bland campaign and America rightly decided that George Bush, although flawed, was still more of a representative of our nation than Al Gore because he was not as bland. America is a lot of things but it is not a bland nation.
Who you vote for and why is your business and you have the freedom to not even vote but that to me is the only wrong decision. Millions of young men fought and died for our right to vote along with our other freedoms.
Those who are cynical of our democracy do nothing but dishonor them. Democracy requires the participation of the people and again the more cynical you are, the more I think you are obligated to get involved and to make a difference. Sarah Palin may say a lot of things in this election but the one message that should ressonate loudest to everyone is her political story of entering politics in 1992 at the PTA level and rising to national VP Candidate in 16 years and she is no ivy league graduate.
That can only happen in America and it could happen to you as well. So before you become cynical about politics and say you won’t even vote, take a look at this and ask yourself why you couldn’t do the same thing as her ?
