Oct 06 2008
Apathetic Americans
I was listening to NPR today and they were interviewing people about who everyone was going to vote for and if the economic bailout had anything to do with their decision. Surprisingly most of the people they talked to said they didn’t want the bailout and they were disappointed in the government for passing it. A few folks said something to the effect that everyone who voted for it should be voted out (hell yeah) and the nice reporter pointed out that “both candidates” (b/c Obama and McCain are the only people in the race apparently) voted for it and did that mean he wouldn’t be voting for either of them. And he said yeah he thought he was going to sit this one out.
WTF is that about? You can’t be apathetic about our government. How is that even an option for some people. Even if you think the main choices suck there are other options out there. Get behind one of the other candidates and work it. OR decide which of the two big boys is the lesser of two evils and go that route. I really don’t care who anyone else votes for but I do care if they don’t vote at all.
Do people even realize how much hard work it took to make it where everyone in this country can vote? The fact that more than white male land owners are allowed to vote didn’t just happen. By turning your back and ‘sitting this one out’ you are saying you don’t care about this country, that you don’t care about the people that fought to make sure you had the right to vote, that you don’t care about your future or the future of your children.
The way I look at it is even if you make the wrong decision (as in not the decision I make) at least you cared enough to make a decision. Sitting back and not voting makes you a loser in my book and also means that you NEVER get to bitch about the outcome EVER around me.
On a separate note…I wouldn’t mind restricting voting to people who can pass a basic wee little history and constitution test ():o)
The thing of it is–no one who is running is worthy of the job–makes it hard to choose.The two candidates who seemsed to have a brain and a plan were Kucinich and Paul–both of whom were stomped by the mainstream media and never got respectfully serious attention. We are left with the dregs.
Absolutely. Ralph Nader foresaw this whole economic mess years ago and has been opposed to the bailout from the start. This is one year where third party candidates can really make an impact and voters can show their representatives that we’re sick of the Demicans and Replocrats.
I forgot –
Obama ‘08!
Ooh, I’ll handle this one for Bill. Nader may have seen the disaster of our financial system on the horizon, but so did many, many others. Nader is an egomanacial child in a septuagenarian’s body, and would essentially be a lame duck the second he got into office. He would have to exercise presidential powers to new levels in order to pass any initiatives, something he’s bemoaned Bushco for for years.