First off, I should probably preface this with some kind of disclaimer regarding the individuals to whom I refer when I make the above statement, however, I would invariably forget to mention someone, and would incur someone’s dislike for such an eggregious ommission. So instead, I will let the reader decide whether or not they fall into the category of imbecile I intend to address below.

The concept of voting as an inalienable right has gone too far in this country. It has all too often been paraded about by the very cross sections of our society that traditionally do not vote, and it has been frowned upon by those who’s money makes many of the real decisions anyway. Unlike many of the precepts in the consitution, voting rights have experienced a number of significant changes throughout this countries history. But this is a simple concept — any educated individual knows that this countries early leaders spent a great deal of their time working to create a political environmentin which citizens had a say in what got done. However, what people sometimes forget is that those same men whom we carry such high regard for, were not worried about most of us voting. Those men wanted to protect the rights of rich, white landowners, and fuck the rights of the common peasant, or forbid the thought of a woman or person of color exercising their decision making muscles.

But I’m not worried about the people who’ve forgotten about such oppressive policies. I’m not concerned about the ignorant fools who stumble blindly through their days in a stupor of ignorance. I should hope many of those people will someday educate themselves and become a part of the political process, but since they don’t vote now, their ignorance cannot impact my life in any truly substantive way. Let the fools be fools…there is a greater danger afoot.

I am most concerned about people who remember the terrible policies of the past. I’m concerned when they are constantly reminded of them, and commit themselves to never relinquishing control again. It is this cross section of our populace who vote not out of any sense of duty, pride, obligation, or even a simple fear of a terrible candidate, but rather out of this very linear and short sighted idea that simply voting will perpetuate their rights and solve all our problems. The problem with these people is that they have convinced themselves that an uneducated vote is better than no vote at all. They’re certain that blind faith in their instincts will help us recover from the economic and social stresses we face every day. They, of course, are wrong.

We have a crippling lack of political participation in this country. Too many people have decided that their vote doesn’t count, so instead of keeping the faith, and continuing to try, they simply give up. I downright badger people to vote. I prod, I kick, I yell, I pontificate. One vote can make a difference. A chorus of single votes one day might help us take back this country from the ancient, bloated, self interested millionaire. But we will never get out from under their shroud of influence if we walk to the polls and vote based not on our own decisions made from properly researching the issues, but from what some mother fucker in a suit said we should support on tv. We’ll never be able to demonstrate the power of voting until people vote responsibly with their brain instead of their ass.

Have a happy election day. Go Bill and Al!