Here’s Why You Should Vote And Move On!
It’s 3 days away. The election day some are calling one of the craziest, most historic campaigns in recent history is less than 72 hours away. It’s like the Super Bowl. Some people are all in with one candidate. Some are all in with the other candidate. And still others are attending simply because they love the game, even though their team didn’t make it in.
This was THE wildest campaign in my adult life. It didn’t lack drama. There was certainly a lot of mud-slinging. There was a lot of finger pointing. Skeletons came up out of the closet and danced around us. How apropos for Halloween! There was babbling. There was scandal. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was all scripted to get the highest ratings possible. (Maybe I don’t know better). From a PR perspective, it was brilliant. It was on every channel. It was on the news networks. It was on the comedy channels. It was on the documentary and drama channels. Even ESPN’s website had a feed covering it like it were a sporting event. To be honest, this election did have a gladiator feel to it. People in the stands cheering, not because of any real allegiance to either candidate, but because they were hungry to see gore and destruction.
I have to wonder, when we vote, are we voting out of allegiance to a specific candidate or is it simply a system? Do people who vote Democrat just vote that way because they vote democrat no matter who is running? Do people who vote Republican vote the candidate or do they vote simply because the general platform of Republicans includes a pro-life stance on abortion and no increased gun control propositions?
I did early voting this time. I’ve never done it before. And, to be quite frank, although I attempted to get information on as many of the people on the ballot as I could, there were just some names listed, especially in the local portion of the ballot, which were unfamiliar to me. So, when you come up against that (and I guarantee everyone will at some point), how do you vote? Do you just vote your party or do you write in the name of someone you MIGHT know?
Why does your vote count anyway? I know some who are asking this question because it is hard to imagine yourself as simply one of 300 million. That’s a really big number. And if 40 percent of those people vote, that’s still 120 million. It can be hard to imagine the election coming down to just one vote…yours!
But that’s just it. If enough people think about things in that way, then a lot of people are not voting. Your vote counts because:
- The sum of parts makes a whole
- It’s the system we have until something better comes along or we decide to move to another country
- It represents your voice
- It celebrates sacrifice, freedom and justice just as much as our flag or anthem.
I’ve read many articles recently on why voting doesn’t matter. Some say the by proxy system doesn’t work and we are simply giving power to people who don’t essentially give voice to us individually anyway. I agree. I don’t believe the people we vote into power ultimately vote in the best interests of everyone they are assigned to serve. How can they? It’s so complex. In every situation, there are multiple sides and exceptions to every rule. I believe there are some elected officials who do the best they can. But, how can they effectively execute the “will” of the people if the “will” is so varied?
How do we console ourselves about voting in a system which is obviously broken and doesn’t meet our needs? I don’t know the real answer.
Here’s what I DO know about all of this. It makes my brain hurt! It brings out the worst in people. People argue and get into fights about candidates they don’t know personally and who may never speak to them personally. People get upset and “unfriend” each other over inconsiderate comments which are ultimately baseless because this person won’t change your life. People, simply searching for identity and a celebrity on whom to hang their hopes, take up their time debating on social media.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t vote. But, I do get it if they choose not to. It’s a hard sell. There are a lot of unfounded arguments and ridiculous banter. People will tell you that a vote for a 3rd or 4th party candidate is a vote against their candidate but for the other. I’ve heard, “A vote for Jill Stein is essentially a vote for Trump and against Hillary.” I’ve heard, “A vote for Gary Johnson is a vote for Hillary and against Trump.” It’s ridiculous because both major candidate supporters can say the same thing and they both still be wrong.
Here’s what a vote is. It’s you simply deciding to participate in the system created by your country to govern.
Here’s what it’s not…a golden ticket to perfection and complete restoration of hope, faith and all that is good.
We live on earth, people! It’s a messed up place. Are there good people and good moments? Most definitely. I live with 4 of them in my house! But, there are also some messed up people and messed up circumstances. No system is going to be perfect. No candidate will be perfect. No country, community or group will be perfect. We do the best we can with what we have.
So, what should you do? You live in a country where you are afforded certain freedoms whether you agree or not. Vote to say thank you and then move on to making the best out of your day.
Create goals! Live intentionally! Decide to be a better you than you were yesterday. Help others make their lives better! And, for pete’s sake, take time out today to laugh out loud just one time.
Today is Day 66 of a 12 week writing journey.
