Thursday, November 04, 2004
Two days after National Presidential Voting Day (NaPreVoDa), I am still asking myself why I have never asserted my right as a citizen of the United States to vote. I have several reasons I tell myself, "I am cynical", believing nothing I do will change anything. "I don't belive in either party", why do I have to be branded a democrat or republican. One of the main reasons I don't vote is truly because I don't feel I know enough. Information is crucial to knowing a candidate. Until the advent of the internet age, where did one find information on all the candidates? Can one really vote solely on promises blared out through media commercials? I can't. But, to be truly honest, I must admit the one main reason I have never voted, is because.... I've never voted. Talk about hiding out in one's comfort zone. I had never been through the process of voting and so it was completely foreign to me and so I steered clear of it. Is that lame, or what?
I remembered a pact Melissa and I made with each other during our trip to Las Vegas last February in which we decided we weren't going to talk ourselves out of doing things anymore. You know, where it becomes so easy to just say, "Nah, I think I'll just stay home." Pretty soon you've told yourself that so much, you miss your entire life experience. So, this election year, with Hal's help, I got regestered through the internet a few weeks ago, found the candidates and their platforms on the internet, voted on a sample ballot, printed it off and took it to the polls with me and voted for the first time in my life. I had been thinking about all those people in the world who don't have the rights we have in this country, and how they are losing their lives to gain those freedoms. I was ashamed to just sweep my rights under the carpet and count them as unimportant. I hope that I have not been part of the reason that any of you have taken the same road as I always did and not make voting an important part of your lives as citizens. I hope you will please think about this. You may not like the candidates, but you have to love the freedom.
Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. -- John Quincy Adams
3 comments:
You have nothing to be ashamed of, Mom. You are truly one of my heros. Thanks for being such an inspiration to me.
Love you.
Cookie
Well I have to admit that I am really proud of you mom! I never voted in my life either and for all of the same reasons that you listed. Mostly because of my own ignorance. But you are right...no more excuses and we did decide to live our lives not be afraid of it. So I have already promised myself to watch closely for the next four years to the presidency and vote like the American I am! --Mel
That's my girl!
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