Election time is creeping up. This is an article I wrote a few years ago for my college newspaper that caused a huge uproar (or at least as huge of an uproar as a college newspaper can cause). Even though I wrote it a while ago, it's still relevant. Well, somewhere relevant (I had to change the proposition names so it's current). Have fun...and send all hate mail to kissme@myblackass.com.As Americans we have numerous rights. The right to bear arms. The right to free speech. The right to an attorney. There's another right we have that often gets ignored: the right
not to vote.
Before anyone starts complaining and labels me a pinko commie bastard, hear me out. I'm not discouraging people to vote, I just wanna remind everyone that voting is a huge responsibility and shouldn't be taken lightly. And if you're not up to for challenge, you don't hafta vote.
Every election--especially presidential elections--there is an enormous movement to get Americans to go out and vote. Organizations like
Rock The Vote make us feel like we're bad Americans if we don't. They remind us that our forefathers died for this right. But lost in this message is the importance of knowing what it is you're voting
for. It's not just a matter of showing up at your local polling station on election night and punching a few holes in the ballot--you gotta know what you're voting on. Because the only thing worse than a non-voter is an
uneducated voter.
Voting is a very serious process and should not be done recklessly. Unfortunately, it isn't like a college English course where you can BS your way to an answer--you gotta do a little homework.
All registered voters get mailed our sample ballots prior to the election. It takes a lawyer to figure out what all the propositions mean. Then there's all the local candidates that no one has ever heard of or met. How many of you out actually know what the propositions are? How about the candidates? What exactly is Proposition 86 and the consequences if it gets approved? Is Proposition H an issue or a medical cream? Who is
Norm "Firecracker" Westwell and why should I--or shouldn't I--vote for him? These are all questions you should know before you even think about picking up your ballot. Voting is not a right--it's a responsibility. It's like dating a beautiful woman, if you're not gonna do it right, don't do it at all.
It comes down to education. Be aware of who or what you're voting for. Don't just vote for voting's sake--vote because you strongly believe one way or another on an issue. And certainly, don't allow an ad campaign help you decided which way to vote. Be aware of why you feel the way you do regarding a certain issue or candidate. Most of us don't realize how much we've been manipulated or why we're making the decisions we make. Ask yourself: on every issue: "Am I voting this way because it's what I truly know is right...or is it because I saw a television commercial?"
You gotta think about these things--you can't just do. Because if you're voting a particular way based on something other than the merits, I don't want your vote to count--it could screw up everything for everybody. The proposition with the most money wins. The wrong guy gets put into office. Florida ends up deciding who is our president. And if all this is too difficult for you, just stay home on election night and watch the results on CNN. There's nothing wrong with that.
You wouldn't be a bad American--you're just implementing your rights.
© 2006 siknerd.com
