I decided to Vote. After a full eleven years of practiced cynicism, I have finally decided to break down and make the bare minimum participatory gesture I can to actually validate my "freedom."
Why? I have been asking myself this question to myself for several days now, and believe I have reached my conclusion.
I was sitting in my parents living room watching the Democratic National Convention and was enjoying the Hilary Clinton speech and enjoying the fact that she oh so eloquently bitch slapped her bitter supporters who were threatening to fuck up the election by throwing a temper tantrum and not vote for Barrack Obama.
"I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?"
Awesome!
After the speech a woman who was a Democratic delegate was interviewed on the floor. She was gazing longingly at the stage in a state of both rapture and profound sadness. As if God had just handed the reigns over to a heretic.
"Did you just see that speech? That speech was Presidential! That could have been the future!"
She went on for some time very emotionally about how she was so disillusioned that H.C. has lost and that this was the dawning of the American Dark Ages, and how she was going to not vote for Obama rather than get in line for the party despite Hilary's clear order to do so.
When asked if she would cast her delegate for for Barack Obama she replied
"No! I am here as a delegate to represent my district and they voted Hilary Clinton. that is what I will do.My personal vote or opinion is irrelevant."
This is the moment I decided to Vote.
8 Years of Bitterness
When I turned 18, Bill Clinton was already into his 2nd term and despite certain dalliances, the economic and political health of the country was at an all time high. 2000 elections are rolling on, and I think "Hey, Gore may be boring but, little Bush is a spoiled Rich Kid! His father was kicked out after four years because everyone hated him. I don't need to vote. No chance Bush'll win...."
My Bad.
As everyone knows, 20 year olds are not the most likely to be politically active, and granted I was high a lot of the time, but the election was SO close that I couldn't help but feel that Evil had been allowed to enter the realm (I was high remember) because I had failed to act. I hazily recalled some quote by some guy saying something to this effect.
"I've got a bad feeling the next four years will suck,"I slurred to a friend, and promptly hit the gravity bong.
Four years later I'm off the cannabis, and living a semi-productive and travel heavy life. I was proved both equally prophetic and awesome by my predictions of suck-ded-tude by the Anti-Clinton's campaign of idiocy and constitutional contempt.
From the beginning, with circumstantial evidence of Voter Fraud and election rigging to the 2 year war in Afghanistan, and a systematic dismantling of environmental policy, things were bad. Surely this time the country would demand better this time, and treat Son like Father.
"It'll happen this time. No need to Vote. It's in the bag."
Many family members would ask me upon my extolling of my political leanings.
If you feel this way, why don't you vote?"
"Because my vote doesn't count!" I was fond of saying. "The electoral College decides who is, and they are not bound to vote the way of the people they are supposed to represent! It's a puppet system where both parties get to pick who the electorates will be, to stack the votes in their own favor, while simultaneously presenting the illusion of the vote to the public!"
To my credit this is a fairly good argument, and I still feel that this is still a serious flaw in our election process, but the beauty is that it can't be disproved as far as I can tell, and my conspiracy theory remains possible.
My parents would reply: "Well what about local elections, and propositions? Your vote is directly applicable there."
Because . . .
Hmmm. I'll get back to you on that one.
Once again Bush wins amid allegations of Fraternal rigging of Florida's vote count. How terrible I should have felt. I once again had neglected my civic duty to scribble on a piece of paper what my opinions were. But instead I smirked and said "See? It's rigged! The electorate failed to confirm the popular vote again! It's rigged. You and I don't count."
I even had started to convince other friend to not bother to register with my viewpoints. That's right. I talked people out of voting.
A Returning of Hope
Much as I hate to admit it, with the democratic primary presenting not one but two candidate that I would equally have put my vote behind, I feel the pendulums swinging back the other way. I remained cynical until I began listening to Barak Obama's speeches and sensed hope, change, and every other ethereal and non specific verbs.
But still the corruption! My vote doesn't count yet! I remained firm to this belief, until an unknown and deeply bitter delegate refused to bow under pressure to vote along party lines because of what her job description really was: to represent the people's will in her designated district.
To that woman and all the other pissed off Hilary Clinton delegates who refused to vote for Barrack Obama becuase your district didn't pick him I say "Thank You."
To those who voted for Hilary not for the reasons described previously but becuase you are totally vindictive and Bitchy I say "Fuck You!" Do your job, and keep your personal opinions out of it you Primadonna cocksuckers.
My faith is restored .... for the moment.
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