To vote (with guilt) or not to vote (with shame)
I guess I'll take advantage of this "feeling" I have and use it to express some of my discontent with what's going on in my immediate world right now. I've expressed before and will again here that I have a serious issue with people telling people to vote and ending their statement and walking away. People don't care WHAT people are voting for or for WHOM for that matter as long as they exercise this *insert sarcasm* right *end sarcasm* I'm a cynic when it comes to the political process. Part of the reason why is because I feel like people don't take voting as seriously as they claim they do.....but turn around and judge people who choose not to vote at all.
Ask the average voting citizen where the candidates stand on any important issue and I wonder if they can tell you. Ask the average voting citizen who the independent candidates running for office are and I'm almost sure they cannot tell you....HELL, some of them are unaware of the fact that there are more than 2 parties. *side eye* Ask the average voting citizen why it's important to vote and I'm betting that the response will center around people dying for the right to vote and/or making your voice heard. It really seems like people vote for people they like, they think are charismatic or attractive, or who can make them feel good about their life and their future.
Most people are unaware that we don't vote for the President. The Electoral College does. And while the EC is supposed to vote with the majority of the popular vote, they are not required to. So the people can vote for a President and the Electoral College can pick someone else. If that happened, would that make you mad to know that your vote didn't really count after all?
Some say, "So what. I'm still doing my part!" AND THIS is where I run into my personal dilemma. Anyone who knows me knows I HATE having my time wasted. This is part of my issue with voting. The Questions on the ballot this year in Maryland, I've gone through most of them. Then it dawned on me that we don't hold our politicians accountable for shit. All we do (for the most part) is whine about it to each other. Nobody is asking questions. Nobody is heading down to the Mayor's office to find out whether or not the money WE voted to be allocated to a certain person, place, or thing is being used for said person, place, or thing.
AND GUESS WHAT....the politicians know this BETTER THAN WE DO. They sell dreams. Not all of them and not all of the time but as a somewhat outside spectator, I watch how they step right over us to do what they want to do.
Before I ramble myself into a tizzy, I will wrap this up by saying that an uneducated voter is just as irresponsible as a person who doesn't participate in the political process. Are you voting for bragging rights, out of peer pressure, because it's the right thing to do, or because you've been taught that you should? If so, you need to reevaluate your participation in the political process. If you're not using your right to vote to make a real difference, I'm going to need for you to stop trying to guilt and/or shame other people and do what you came to do: MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Last time I checked, just checking a box didn't get it. There are at least 5 more steps to take AFTER the polls have closed. Kill it with the guilt when you're doing the MINIMUM amount of work required to get the job done. Contrary to popular belief, a half-assed attempt is worse than no attempt at all in terms of energy wasted.
Ask the average voting citizen where the candidates stand on any important issue and I wonder if they can tell you. Ask the average voting citizen who the independent candidates running for office are and I'm almost sure they cannot tell you....HELL, some of them are unaware of the fact that there are more than 2 parties. *side eye* Ask the average voting citizen why it's important to vote and I'm betting that the response will center around people dying for the right to vote and/or making your voice heard. It really seems like people vote for people they like, they think are charismatic or attractive, or who can make them feel good about their life and their future.
Most people are unaware that we don't vote for the President. The Electoral College does. And while the EC is supposed to vote with the majority of the popular vote, they are not required to. So the people can vote for a President and the Electoral College can pick someone else. If that happened, would that make you mad to know that your vote didn't really count after all?
Some say, "So what. I'm still doing my part!" AND THIS is where I run into my personal dilemma. Anyone who knows me knows I HATE having my time wasted. This is part of my issue with voting. The Questions on the ballot this year in Maryland, I've gone through most of them. Then it dawned on me that we don't hold our politicians accountable for shit. All we do (for the most part) is whine about it to each other. Nobody is asking questions. Nobody is heading down to the Mayor's office to find out whether or not the money WE voted to be allocated to a certain person, place, or thing is being used for said person, place, or thing.
AND GUESS WHAT....the politicians know this BETTER THAN WE DO. They sell dreams. Not all of them and not all of the time but as a somewhat outside spectator, I watch how they step right over us to do what they want to do.
Before I ramble myself into a tizzy, I will wrap this up by saying that an uneducated voter is just as irresponsible as a person who doesn't participate in the political process. Are you voting for bragging rights, out of peer pressure, because it's the right thing to do, or because you've been taught that you should? If so, you need to reevaluate your participation in the political process. If you're not using your right to vote to make a real difference, I'm going to need for you to stop trying to guilt and/or shame other people and do what you came to do: MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Last time I checked, just checking a box didn't get it. There are at least 5 more steps to take AFTER the polls have closed. Kill it with the guilt when you're doing the MINIMUM amount of work required to get the job done. Contrary to popular belief, a half-assed attempt is worse than no attempt at all in terms of energy wasted.
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