Chapter 22, Verse 2: Rhetorical Quest Part II

Hey Space Travelers, I had a thought today on my ride home from work about voting. I've struggled with the thought about making a lot of political rants on this blog for sometime, and trust me I never run low on ammo, but I've felt that this little corner of the interwebs was best to be kept clean of politics and left to be a marketplace of my ideas that were less about brands and more about dynamic concepts. However, when I have a thought such as today that I feel is so independent of political demagogy, I am obliged by a totally annoying sense of duty to share.

Go Vote Early.

Listen, there is nothing magical about it. Your vote will not mean more or less to our country at large, but your actions could mean a lot to your neighbor. Even without the projections of huge voter turnout, somewhere in the dialog we lose sight of people who wake up early just to get to the polls before work and still wait in long lines debating every second whether or not they can gamble standing there the next second. Help everyone make it to the front of the line.

Go Vote Early.

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or a Space Traveler the point remains. I had been so excited to be a part of this election, I think somewhere I put a higher premium on the date, the notion of being a part of history, rather than the act. My voter water drop winds up in the ocean whether I walk it to the beach or whether I drop it in the mighty Mississippi river.

Go Vote Early.

If you've struggled in this election, like I have to fight off cynicism and constantly worry about whether your vote counts, you're not alone. I plead to you, the greatest actions of mankind are not exclusively the ones that result in glory. If you are confused by what I mean, I only aim to assert that there is something noble about acting on your heart out of a sense of duty. That duty doesn't have to be to a country or a flag. For me, my duty is to those who are disenfranchised all over the world. I cannot scoff at the idea of free elections while people in this world truly embody what bravery is just to have a voice in their lives. How can I dare to be so careless? Let it be somebody other than me that says my vote is worthless. I have my own means to measure the merit of my actions.

Go Vote Early.

By voting early, you're not going to make every vote count, but you may make one other person's vote count by shortening the line by one person. The 5 minutes, hell, the 2 minute you spend in the booth may be the difference between somebody choosing to exit the line and rush to work, or leave to pick up their children from work.

Go Vote Early.

I won't tell you who to vote for. If you don't feel that Obama or McCain represent you, don't vote for either. Find a candidate that does, and if it means that you vote for a third party, it doesn't mean your vote is wasted. I'll always respect you for following your heart and mind. I loved George Carlin, but their was one thing he said that was wrong. He said that you can complain if you don't vote; that it wouldn't be your fault. I love you George, but you made a false dilemma.

Go Vote Early.

The idea that our vote only matters when the vote we cast lands on the side of victory is all too selfish. If there is a sea change in the American political landscape, let's make it the difference in how we view our own role in society, not merely the give and take of red and blue, liberal and conservative, or soda and pop. I'm resolved to contribute to this country be it Obama, McCain or Zenu running this country. Armchair quarterbacks never score the winning touchdown.

Go Vote Early.

I'm one person that will never tell you your vote didn't count, no matter any outcome. If you can't find the time to go early, Tuesday will come faster than you think Space Travelers, pack a lunch, bring something to read, and bring an umbrella-ella-ella-a-a-a. Remember, lines may be long, people may be grumpy or smelly, but Space Travelers care not of these things.

~Chi