Monday, November 06, 2006

Vote or Die!

Tomorrow is election day. If you can't manage to get off your ass and go vote while our country is in a shambles you are a waste of space.

I know, it's been pouring rain to near flood levels and you have all sorts of work to do and the stupid paperless ballot machines are all rigged anyway. So why should you go vote?

You are part of this society, so it is your responsibility. If you are part of a family you have responsibilities like making sure the rent is paid or the trash is taken out. Voting is the only effective way we citizens have of taking the trash out of government. Those of you who don't vote remind me of the girl in the Shell Silverstien poem who lets the trash overtake everything out of laziness.

Look, I have to spend tomorrow morning with my feet up in stirrups getting my annual exam. Then I have the thankless task of putting together the student newsletter and to top it all off the Kiddo is grounded because he decided that being in 6th grade meant not doing homework. So I have been playing prison guard, making sure that the only thing he does is homework. No tv, no video games, no computer, no hanging out with friends, and no extra-curricualr reading. (I know- I may be the only parent on earth who has to ground their child from books). All I want to do is curl up with a big gulp sized vodka tonic and watch gay porn. But I will be slogging my way through our local monsoon to go vote.

If I am giving up booze and porn, the least you could do is get off your ass and vote. Or I will hunt you down and bludgeon you with a hanging chad. Seriously.

And since we're on the gay porn/ voting topic- here's a little video to remind you of all the trash that needs to be taken out.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hrm. You probably don't agree with this post of mine. :)

The Red Queen said...

Nope- don't agree at all. I think it's the equivalent of saying "hey all this garbage really stinks in here, and I think the couch is covered in maggots" but refusing to take a bag of trash to the curb because that would just encourage more garbage creation.

If you have a problem with the people in the system then become one of the people in the system and change it. Go run for the head of the PTA or for the school board that is about to be gutted.

Writing blogs and talking to people about change are all lovely things, but in the course of actually changing things they are little more than public masterbation.

Anonymous said...

I think you're using a false analogy. The problem I'm defining in my post isn't the particular political issue (the garbage piling up), but rather the political system.

Entering the political scene isn't the solution - that's another perpetuation of the problem. Instead, I support grassroots solutions, and I am advancing the causes of the political issues that are closest to home. All the political stumping and posturing that's going on right now isn't doing a thing for hunger, or for homelessness; I'm going to do what I can to take care of the poor and the needy, who certainly don't need more politics. They need my time, my resources, and my heart, and that's what I'm giving, and encouraging others to do the same.

I think that's doing a great deal more than voting.

DeeK said...

I am so glad I voted. Glad, i argued with left-wingers and right wingers. Glad I made calls.

My people were denied voting rights for many years; the system sucks for my people way worse than it has for the majority of Europeans that settled here. But I am glad to have voted. I know the system sucks. I think there are many better alternatives, but I just can't see keeping silent will help.

As much as I think helping the homeless, etc, is admirable, I don't see how that will get the most dangerous administration this nation has ever had!

Anonymous said...

In all business, the poor are never considered. Yet among the poor is where God is. And that's where I'll do my work. I'm not interested in toppling administrations, left, right, or otherwise. I'm interested in taking care of people who need help.

DeeK said...

I don't see why you can't help the poor AND vote.

By continuing to elect people who want to destroy our environment, we help no one. and who takes the brunt of environmental impact? The poor. This is just one example, I am sure I can think of many more.

The Red Queen said...

You can certainly help out the poor because God is among them- but coming from a place where I make one third of the income that would keep me just at poverty level I can tell you that GOD never paid my light bill or helped with my rent or put food on my table. But government programs aimed at helping the poor have done all 3 of those things.

I'm poor and my best chance at getting help doens't come from some arbitrary church or religious group that requires my submission in order to get help- it comes from fighting for basic rights of EVERYONE by voting.

Anonymous said...

requires your submission? what strange church are you talking about? not my kind of church...

but i guess this post is moving so far down the page that the conversation is going to be lost... we can let it go, i suppose.