Monday, November 4, 2013

Get off your duff tomorrow!

   It's been a looooong time since my last post here.  Sorry 'bout that!  Been kinda busy working.  But an important thought occurred to me about tomorrow.

   No, I don't mean the generic tomorrow, as in the near future.  I mean specifically November 5, 2013.  Or rather, the day after the first Monday (which, mind you, isn't necessarily the first Tuesday!) of every November.

   Those of you in the USA might have already guessed what I mean.  Even if you're not here, keep reading, because this probably applies to you too, albeit with different timing!

   Some of you are eager to go to the polls.  (If that's you, great, thank you, you can stop reading now.  You might want to keep reading, though, to see what I have to say to the rest.  I'd sure appreciate your passing it along to those who need to hear it.)

   Some of you reading this might not be able to vote for one reason or another; that's a different story altogether.

   The rest of you, though, LISTEN UP!  You might be thinking, "why bother, the major parties never put up anybody worth voting for, and the minor parties don't stand a chance."

   If that's your attitude, then:

YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!

   You probably say your refusal to vote is an act of protest, right?  That's baloney and you know it.  You're just being lazy, not doing squat to earn your right to complain.  (I am trying to keep this blog family-friendly, but at times like this it gets a mite difficult.)

   Offended?  Good!  Maybe you'll get off your duff now!  Oh, you still wonder why you should?

   The Powers that Be, much as they might be spying on us, can't tell whether you're refusing to vote because you're protesting, or you're just too lazy, or you forgot, or you had some emergency and couldn't get to the polls (like happened to me last year).  (Lesson: vote absentee/early if you can!)

   So long as turnout is as abysmally low as usual, they have every right to assume you're being lazy.  And you know what?  The vast majority of the time, they'll be right.

   Now, if you're too lazy to vote, why should they give half a damn about you? Do they really think that you're going to suddenly find a burst of energy when it's time to grab guns and head to the makeshift barricades?  Or when it's time to go to the protest rally, or Occupy Whatever?  Riiiiiiight.  I don't think so, neither do they, and deep down, admit it, neither do you.  You probably won't even sign a petition, let alone work for a campaign.  Your own history indicates you probably won't do the easiest thing they fear most -- vote for the other candidate.

   There's an old saying: "The world is run by those who show up."  If you won't bother to show up, okay, fine, I'd probably rather you personally not be involved in running the world.  But then... don't come griping to me.

   You know those silly little "I Voted" stickers?  I call mine my "griping license".  I don't listen to unlicensed griping.