Actually, I think last night's brief discussion on voting ethics between Kevin, myself, and a few other people in the shop was pretty intriguing. Sorry if your names escape me, but I really don't get the chance to talk on a one on one basis with many people at the store.
In fact, one comment made by Kevin's friend last night (sorry, we weren't introduced) got my attention when he said that he didn't vote, based on George Carlin's theory of voting (which you can listen to on the album called "Back in Town", by George Carlin). But it was what he said after that that got my attention. He said, and I quote "What difference does one vote make?"
Well, not to soil any of your theories on voting, but there have been elections in our countries history decided by a single vote before. Granted the chances of it happening are slim to none, but just b/c those chances seem unlikely doesn't make them impossible happen.
Case and point: Election of 1876, Rutherford Hayes vs. Samuel Tilden. Hayes wins the electoral vote 185 to 184. And as a result of that, Reconstruction ends in the South, and the Compromise of 1877 comes into order, effectively barring African Americans from voting. One could imagine what would've happened if a Democrat was in office that term.
At any rate, I know I'm ranting at this point, but its in my opinion that if you're going to vote, then vote for the right reasons, and if you're not going to vote, then don't vote for the right reasons also. This country gave us the right to choose ways of expressing ourselves through various outlets (such as voting), and if you think (like George Carlin) that by not voting, you have every right to complain about the politicians in power, then more power to you. In fact, I whole heartedly agree with you.
But don't say that you're not going to vote just because you think your vote won't matter. Giving yourself an excuse not to do something is not only delusional, but cowardly. Have the guts to stand up for what you believe in, and don't fall into the lazy masses of the country who simply say "Why should I care? It's not my problem!". It's people like that who bring this country down, and like Carlin also said in that album about there not being any "bright people of conscious in this country", it's those kinds of people who don't deserve the rights they have, and have forgotten just how lucky they are just to be living in America.
Thanks for reading, everyone.
