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A few words on voting
Nov. 6th, 2006 09:56 pmIf you're an American of age, tomorrow's Election Day. I'm not going to say that it's your duty as an American to vote, or anything like that. It's your choice. But it is your right, and a right that people in various places over a long period of history have thought was important enough to fight pretty hard for.
Whether you like the choices or not, I'm guessing that you probably feel there's a choice that would be a little better than another. And if you really don't believe that, show up anyway. Write it the name of someone you think could help. Write in your own name. Write up a whole anarchist manifesto and shove it in the write in box if you really think that's what would do the best for the country.
If you can't bring yourself to do that for the big state races, then at least vote in your local races. They're often not so much about politics and parties and much more about just doing some good work in your community. Look up what's going on in those tonight if you don't know. Look up what other ballot initiatives are coming up in your district as well, and decide what you think, if you don't already know. Somebody's trying to make some new bonds or fix some roads or put liquor in your grocery stores or implement school vouchers or something in your community. Find out what.
There's no rule in our country, anywhere, that says that not showing up sends any message at all. Protest non-voting is just going to get pooled in with the giant pile of apathy and people with logistic troubles and people who just don't really think it matters what happens to the country anyway. If just the politicians and their families showed up and voted, the elections would still be valid. And I can't really tell you whether your vote's going to count or whether the box is going to be rigged or anything like that. All I can say is that if you don't get out there, there's no chance at all that anyone's going to hear you.
If you want to do activism to help change the system, I'm thrilled to hear it. There are obviously some really core problems with how elections are run these days. But in the meantime, do what you can within the system as well. Please. It matters. Thanks.
Whether you like the choices or not, I'm guessing that you probably feel there's a choice that would be a little better than another. And if you really don't believe that, show up anyway. Write it the name of someone you think could help. Write in your own name. Write up a whole anarchist manifesto and shove it in the write in box if you really think that's what would do the best for the country.
If you can't bring yourself to do that for the big state races, then at least vote in your local races. They're often not so much about politics and parties and much more about just doing some good work in your community. Look up what's going on in those tonight if you don't know. Look up what other ballot initiatives are coming up in your district as well, and decide what you think, if you don't already know. Somebody's trying to make some new bonds or fix some roads or put liquor in your grocery stores or implement school vouchers or something in your community. Find out what.
There's no rule in our country, anywhere, that says that not showing up sends any message at all. Protest non-voting is just going to get pooled in with the giant pile of apathy and people with logistic troubles and people who just don't really think it matters what happens to the country anyway. If just the politicians and their families showed up and voted, the elections would still be valid. And I can't really tell you whether your vote's going to count or whether the box is going to be rigged or anything like that. All I can say is that if you don't get out there, there's no chance at all that anyone's going to hear you.
If you want to do activism to help change the system, I'm thrilled to hear it. There are obviously some really core problems with how elections are run these days. But in the meantime, do what you can within the system as well. Please. It matters. Thanks.
