Fine then, don't vote.
It was Halloween evening and my friend A and I were dressed up waiting at the bus stop in downtown SF for public transit to take us to the north shore for yummy italian before going out. A fabulously entertaining homeless man came over to chat us up and sing "My Girl" to any girl at the stop who was willing to lend an ear (and hopefully a buck or two).
He then returned to us after making the rounds and asked us if we had voted. Yes and Yes. And who for? Personal, yes, but I forgave him. He had a pounder of Steel Reserve in his brown bag and probably some rough years behind him. Obama x 2 we replied. He then turned to the twenty something dressed as a computer geek standing next to us and asked the same thing. His response? "No, I'm not voting. I don't agree with either of the candidates."
Um, I'm sorry?? Did I hear that incorrectly? Grrr! I tried to mask my shock with a blank stare. But really, I had higher hopes for college educated twenty somethings engaging in our country's future. I don't care who you vote for, McCain or Obama, but we have the right and you should take advantage of it. Just b/c you don't want to sing "koom by ya" with either of them, doesn't mean you can't choose one of them whose values, speeches and actions more closely with your beliefs, interests, priorities, etc.
Not choosing is allowing someone else the opportunity to make the decision for you. A decision which you could have had an impact on. Not choosing is like voting for Nader even when you know he has no chance in hell at winning because you're trying to make a point. But hey, at least the Nader voters have enough pride to take part in the election process. One vote combined with another and another and another makes a difference. Just crossing my fingers that some of us on the fence will have the balls to take sides and choose a candidate by Tuesday.
And as LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow always said, "you don't have to take my word for it..."
He then returned to us after making the rounds and asked us if we had voted. Yes and Yes. And who for? Personal, yes, but I forgave him. He had a pounder of Steel Reserve in his brown bag and probably some rough years behind him. Obama x 2 we replied. He then turned to the twenty something dressed as a computer geek standing next to us and asked the same thing. His response? "No, I'm not voting. I don't agree with either of the candidates."
Um, I'm sorry?? Did I hear that incorrectly? Grrr! I tried to mask my shock with a blank stare. But really, I had higher hopes for college educated twenty somethings engaging in our country's future. I don't care who you vote for, McCain or Obama, but we have the right and you should take advantage of it. Just b/c you don't want to sing "koom by ya" with either of them, doesn't mean you can't choose one of them whose values, speeches and actions more closely with your beliefs, interests, priorities, etc.
Not choosing is allowing someone else the opportunity to make the decision for you. A decision which you could have had an impact on. Not choosing is like voting for Nader even when you know he has no chance in hell at winning because you're trying to make a point. But hey, at least the Nader voters have enough pride to take part in the election process. One vote combined with another and another and another makes a difference. Just crossing my fingers that some of us on the fence will have the balls to take sides and choose a candidate by Tuesday.
And as LeVar Burton on Reading Rainbow always said, "you don't have to take my word for it..."
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