Saturday, August 30, 2008

Stop and Think Before You Vote

I started this as a comment on BlogHer about the selection of Sarah Palin as the Republican VP but I seem to have a lot more to say so I copied my response and additional thoughts.

Yes, it is historical. Yes the options have appeared to expanded. I understand about the pull of representation and having your issues heard, supported and verified. I will not be so foolish as to try to argue against that pull.
Obama Hope T-Shirt
I saw a young African-American teenager wearing an Obama t-shirt. Not a "Thug-Life" or "OG Heaven" but a political t-shirt. I was in an elevator with a tv-caption service and a white male was beaming when he read the news post on Palin.

McCain T-shirt
I'm reading the BlogHer comments and conservative BlogHers who have never posted before are engaged. But that is not what this election is about.

For the next 4 to 8 years this president/vp team will direct and influence the affairs of the U.S. We owe China, Japan and other countries up the ying-yang in borrowed money. Our overseas reputation is shot to hell. We have a crumbling infrastructure in the delivery of electricity, roads, health care and the 100+ year old pipes under the street. Oh, yeah let's not forget the multiple ecological concerns.

We are adults that vote .

Part of that responsibility is to know beyond the surface who you are voting for and why and to articulate that to others. Get a grip folks.

Beyond Palin being a woman or Obama being of African-American decent tell me why we are to entrust the country to one of the candidates. Break it down to me and others that you meet.

I really don't care if you are Anarchist, Liberal, Independent or Conservative or Libertarian. You say you love this country? Then show that love by being an informed voter. Not by Fox, CNN or your favorite partisan blog. Go to each of the candidates' web sites and read for yourself what is and is not being stated. Understand what has been done and what is at stake.

Know what you want for this country and match that up against the stated positions. Can you live and accept what they propose? This is no joke! This is the real deal here and folks need to step up and chant more than "Change" or "Party Unity My Ass, I Wanted Hillary".

We cannot keep being willfully stupid Americans. Anti-intellectualism really does not work for the long term health of the country.

And by anti-intellectualism I mean not checking out information for yourself, that you leave it to mainstream media to tell you what is and is not true. If you need help go to the library and ask a librarian about information on learning about the candidates. The good ones can hook you up with multiple resource in a variety of formats.

Over the next few weeks I think I'll start posting some of the online resources but don't vote stupid. No matter who you vote for I'm begging you first make sure that you are registered and second know with your mind and heart that this is the correct thing to do.

I need to hug a tree or something.

1 comment:

  1. I so agree with you. You must have heard me bloggins earlier about the anti-intellectualism in the campaign.

    We need analytical, thoughtful, smart, well-travelled leaders and voters.

    It's not illegal to think yet and we still have free, public libraries and schools (although those are threatened).

    I can say with pride that I reared a son and a daughter who both think, read, and vote like their Mom (and their late father).

    ReplyDelete