A thought.

[napoleonherself]

I just came across that tired old chestnut that if you don't vote, you don't get to complain about the results. As someone who did not vote this year, I feel the need to engage in a little thought experiment.

First of all, wow congratulations on being the Grand High Decider on who gets to talk about what. You are so special. I wish I were that special.

Second of all, what if the vote is pointless where you are? What if you are a Democrat in an area where the vast majority of the population is Republican? Do you really have to cast your worthless vote in order to be allowed to speak?

What if candidates are unopposed in your district? What if there is no candidate from "your" party to vote for? Do you really have to go write in your vote for Mickey Mouse in order to be allowed to speak?

What if you live in State A and you want to complain about the election in State B? Do you really have to cast an unrelated-to-the-issue vote in order to be allowed to speak?

What if you're legally barred from voting? Are you just not allowed to speak?

What if you were unexpectedly physically unable to get to the polling place? Are you just not allowed to speak?

What if you realize only AFTER the election that you have concerns? Are you just not allowed to speak?


Am I just not allowed to speak?


I realize that the best way to maintain your position as Grand High Decider on who gets to talk about what means that you can never, ever, ever address my concerns. Good heavens, that might be almost the same as admitting that you could be wrong! Maybe everyone gets to express their opinions -- even if they didn't vote!

But I ask all the same.

Am I just not allowed to speak?

Comments

[napoleonherself.livejournal.com]

Mecha, in his long-winded way, said some of the things I would have said if I could articulate them that well. Of course, he also got way more up in arms about it than I can really manage.

In America, at least, it really would be coin-flip-esque. This is a country where millions of people are struggling to keep their heads above water, financially. They've got no health insurance and their jobs pay far below a living wage. The public schools they send their children to are underfunded to the point that I'm betting a lot of history books still show the USSR on their maps. And yet how do many of these people vote? Why, for the Tax Cuts For The Rich, Keep Health Care Privatized, Keep Minimum Wage Low party. Just because they heard on TV that the dirty liberals want to welcome terrorists into the country with beaming faces and open arms.

Maybe in other countries the mass of voters can be trusted to know what's best for them; I doubt it, because People Is Dumb. Either way, here, half the country can't even understand the basic concept of "vote your pocketbook".