Voting

You know, I've been doing a bit of thinking this week about voting and the politics that go along with that. By no means has it been in depth, but it's thinking none the less, and that's more than some do. It all started when I got my ballot in the mail from my mom. Apparently that's illegal too, mailing someone their ballot, but that's pretty counterproductive if you ask me. I mean, people bitch about poor voter turnouts, but then there are laws prohibiting out-of-towners like me from getting their ballots (easily). I know there's absentee ballots and all that, but I am way too lazy, and way too late, to consider that route. And I know that there's the whole deal about someone else tampering with your ballot or something, like airplane baggage or something (the whole "did you pack your bags and have they been in your possession since then?" deal), but regardless, Mom mailed my ballot, and now I have it.

For a little background, the stuff that got me thinking has been both the new laws or bills or whatever that Bush has been signing lately (the wall and the military trial without a jury), the business law class I'm taking, and the documentary "Loose Change" about September 11. On a bit of a tangent, this documentary (available here) could be called a conspiracy theory, but is so well done and (seemingly) factual, that I really have second thoughts about this whole thing. If you have an hour and a half, it's REALLY worth a look. Anyways, these 3 things are what have got me thinking a bit, but for no specific reason besides the obvious exposure.

So back to this voting thing. I'm planning on voting, that is, carrying out the act of bubbling in the ballot tomorrow before the game. And I think that it is really important, for a number of reasons, mostly having something to do with the people that are presently in power, but who doesn't? That's my point... But there are some things that really make me wonder what's going on in this country. Number 1: How can a president be elected for a second term and have the lowest approval rating ever? How can people go through 4 years, get upset, RE-elect the guy, and then be upset again? Where are these 51% of people now? Just curious. Number 2: What does it say about our country when a fucking TV show gets more voters than a national election? American Idol this last season got more votes in its final show than did any election in the history of this nation. Albeit voting hasn't always been open to everyone, but seriously, in this last election, how did more people not come out to vote for the PRESIDENT than a goofy-looking singer with a crappy voice? I wonder when we started pledging allegiance to a fucking TV show and not to our flag. Just rubs me wrong. I wish my vote could count more than other people's. That would make me feel better.

I suppose this whole post was just a reiteration that voting is good and everyone should do it. But please, know what you're voting for. Don't vote on the wedge issues either, because nothing gets done with those, they get dropped after the election, but vote on what's really important for the country. Hint: Jesus is not that important to this country.

So, my only specific direction here is vote Barack Obama in '08. If he doesn't run, write him in. And watch "Loose Change", it'll shatter your perspective, guaranteed. By the way, those fruit in that picture there? Baracks. Nice touch right? Shut up and vote.