Rock the Vote

I just got back from my polling location this morning.  When I entered, I spoke to the nice elderly lady there and told her that I would like to “Rock the Vote.”  She looked at me with a quizzical look on her face for a moment, perhaps wondering if I had maybe a few too many breakfast cocktails, and then asked me my last name.  From the moment I walked in with my wise-crack to the time I finished writing my own name for all the write-in votes, it took me no more than 5 minutes.  Call me corny, but more than during the playing of the National Anthem or seeing a WW2 movie, I never feel more patriotic than in the drive away from my polling location.

I encourage everyone to do their civic duty and vote today.  I know that there are a plethora of excuses not to do so, but it is important… not because your one vote is going to make so much difference to the country – more because of what the process of voting will do to you.  I believe that when you invest your time with something or someone, you grow to care about it that much more.  Whether or not all your candidates lost today, I think by voting you have already taken a step that, according to statistics, half of all registered voters have not.  You have showed that you actually give a hoot about your country.

Think it’s a hassle?  Again, it took me 5 minutes – and I didn’t even have my voter registration card.  And so what?  I know people who have camped out in line for hours for the premiere of a movie or to get basketball tickets…. in other words – to be entertained! 

Think that your vote won’t count?  Yeah, you’re probably right about that, but so what?  In a war it’s not the individual soldier that wins the battle, it’s each soldier doing his part.  Imagine if during a battle, one by one, the soldiers decided… my presense is not going to turn the tide of this war.  I’m going to just give myself up.

Think it doesn’t matter who you vote for?  Perhaps… but by not voting you are claiming responsibility for whatever happens because you were not even a part of the process.

Throughout history, people have given their lives for just the opportunity to make their voice count or to ensure that future generations will be able to.  We’re not talking about sacrificing a weekend or donating some money to a charity here… we’re talking DIED. 

If you don’t like the way things are in this country and decide to go off on a rant about it, the first thing I’m going to ask you is if you voted.  If you can not answer in the affirmative, I will politely ask you to shut the heck up.  I’m not going to listen to you prattle on for 15 minutes about something you didn’t even take 5 minutes to do something about.

So vote.  But before you do, it would be much better if you were educated about it.  So read this.  It is relatively non-partisan and tries to be balanced.  If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, click on the issues that are the most important to you.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/election-issue.htm

Also, if you’re basing your vote based on whom your favorite celebrity is voting for, PLEASE STAY AT HOME.  More on this later.