I Lean to the Left…….
My first time was in 1984. I was nineteen years old, but I was confident, proud, self-assured and completely unafraid. I had read up, done some research, talked to friends who had done it before and picked up a few pointers. This was going to be a monumental experience in my life. A coming of age moment. I may have even showered. I know I put on a clean shirt. And I had begun a relationship with whom I felt was the perfect person.
It was all over in a matter of minutes–seconds, really. And it didn’t hurt like some people had told me it was going to. Yep, I was 19 years old and officially–a voter. I’ve done it at least every four years since, you know, to keep in practice. Keep my skills sharp as it were. Many years I have been adamant and strongly in favor of a particular candidate. I enjoyed getting in bed with them, so to speak. Other times I have been totally apathetic and felt like I was just going through the motions. I have been all over the voter map, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green, Whig, I’ve always voted for the candidate, not the party. You been there?
Well, this year I added a new first to my voting exploits. A primary. I’ve never done it. Never seen the need to do it, until this year. There are so many things going on in our communities, our country and in the world around us that it is becoming harder and harder to just sit back and watch things happen all the while hoping they don’t get too close to my backyard. I can’t do that anymore. We are ripe for a change and I felt it necessary to let someone know how I felt, what direction I would like to see our lives heading.
So, in my passive aggressive sort of way, I donned my favorite t-shirt:
Loaded up the twins and started out for the Senior Citizens Center (that’s our polling location).
And I cast my vote.
It took all of two minutes. (One minute and thirty seconds of which involved chasing down the twins who had tackled the nice old lady handing out stickers as they yelled—TICKER!!, TICKER!! PEAS!! I WANT TICKERS!!!)
For anyone who has read my blog, I think it is fairly obvious which way I leaned this year but if you need help figuring things out, here’s a bit of my thought processes:
1) Although I’m not a picketer or a sign waiver (I’m passive aggressive–see above) I have written (or mailed) letters to the current officeholder that reflect my (and my kids) disapproval of the War in Iraq. See here or here for references. I’m done with the Right Side.
2) Although I’m all for women in power and respect everything she has and will continue to do for this country, I’ve already got a very powerful woman in control of my life. It would be nice to get a tad bit of a reprieve.
3) I voted for Obama.
My sincere desire is that everyone, regardless of which way you lean, exercise your right to vote this year. The primaries are an important part of the prelude to November. Your voice does count. Unless your children assault the sticker lady at the polling table and you are forever banned from the polling location. There’s still absentee. Get out and VOTE.
Barrack the vote!
It’s still such a tight race. We didn’t fair so well in Ohio but at least I can say it’s not my fault. I blame the twins!
I voted for Romney – and then he quit and now I feel ripped off.
When I turned 18 I was very excited to be able to vote and I’ve voted in every single election ever since – every one – and the last several years in San Diego, that’s saying a LOT LOT LOT of voting has been done. I get giddy excited on election day.
Now I feel disenfranchised and like my vote really didn’t count. It’s a first for me, I’m having trouble coming to terms with it.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that I have felt raped after an election. Abused, used up and discarded. I guess the fact that for an entire term I was able to say, “Not my fault–you brought this on yourselves,” has in some was eased the pain. I have even in years past voted and made zero selections (left the entire ballot blank and cast my vote) as if to say–”I refuse to choose the lesser of two evils here.”
It’s sad. But it’s my voice even if it’s one of 300 million. It’s mine and I need to use it. Call me Jo-Jo Who. Like Horton says, “a person’s a person, no matter how small”.
Wow, I had never thought to do that – cast a blank ballot. Well, there’s usually something else on there that does interest me. But this may be my first Presidential election that I don’t vote for any of the evils because none of them would qualify as “lesser”
I’m not happy with any of the current candidates. I was really hoping to see Ron Paul succeed. I hate feeling like I’m voting “lesser of two evils.”
My hubby is disgusted with the system as a whole. He wants to see an online voting system instituted. His theory is that it would be as secure – if not more so – as the computer-based system that we’re using (and can’t trust) now and that more people would actually vote if they could log on and do it wherever they choose. Then, we could stop wasting tax dollars on our representatives, have the people cast their own votes online for all legislation, and actually be a democracy!
And chasing down kids who are chasing down stickers is never a good time.
I suppose the only way to ever really see change is to get out and be a part of the process, otherwise status quo will prevail. Your voice counts.