Just when I thought I’d run out of rant…
HOLY SHIRTBALLS. SWEET CHEESE N CRACKERS. GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLIES. Hi. Imma be all political here about a single, specific topic. Maybe skip if you don't want to know just what a pushy progressive proselytizer I can be.
But you know that Dr. Maya Angelou quote about believing people? I'm talking about this one: "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time."
Yeah. Welp. At a rally in West Palm Beach FL on 27 July, 2024, Donald J. Trump told his predominantly White Christian for certain values of "Christian") audience that if they get out and vote this one time, they won't have to vote again in 4 years. It would all be fixed so nobody would have to vote again.
He said that out loud. For real. I truly thought it must be an out-of-context thing, or stream-of-consciousness babble, or GenAI nonsense, but multiple confirmed sources have verified it. This is way-way-way past the first time Trump has shown the world he is a misogynist, racist, unprincipled liar and cheat who wants to be a dictator, but damned if he doesn't keep finding new firsts to check off.
So today I am saying, get your ass registered to vote, monitor your registration for voter purge shenanigans until August 8, and when the time comes in November, vote for Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
Everyone who can get to polls or vote by mail needs to vote against Trump this one time, so that in four years, we will get to vote--or not vote--again. Vote against Trump this one time, and you won't have to vote against him ever again.
I do not care if you vote for a single other candidate in any other race. (I mean, I do, but that's your business. More on that below.)
That's it. That's the post. From here to the bottom it's just me aiming the flamethrower of my rantiness at straw targets, namely all the reasons I hear from people who insist voting isn't important.
(Spoiler alert, they're disastrously wrong, and our country's current situation is proof of that.)
We will now pause for a quick Pippin break.
I'm old and cranky, which is not news, but I mention it because it means I already have been hearing not-voting excuses from friends, coworkers & acquaintances for decades now. Most objections are variations on the following:
1. The system is broken. We need radical change. Participation is collusion. (Radical Idealism)
2. My vote doesn't matter/my candidate got cut already. (Apathy/Resentment)
3. Politicians are all crooked, there's no difference between any of them, who cares, why bother? (Apathy/Cynicism)
4. I don't know enough to choose, and learning about all the candidates takes more time than I have to give. (Intimidation/Insecurity)
5. Going to vote/registering to vote is hard, complicated, expensive, and/or a pain in the ass. (Economic/Emotional Hardship)
#1. Okay, fine. The political structures in this country are unjust, inequitable, and in dire need of major overhauls & recalibration at every level from local to federal. No argument from me there. I also acknowledge that refusing to vote/electing to not-vote/boycotting elections is a totally valid exercise of one's constitutionally protected voting rights.
Saying "I reject this system" by not participating in it is certainly a choice.
BUT. Bottom line. You gotta have elections to not-vote in for any not-voting reason to be meaningful. And anyone who thinks sitting out the election, letting the system break because that will bring about A Better World Through Revolution...that level of idealism is...just no.
Look, I understand the deep desire to achieve a perfect collaborative socioeconomic system. But if that passion causes real harm to real people right now? That is punching down, that is punishing victims, that is some serious utilitarianism/consequentialism/Randian bullshit.
I'll quote Lauren Morris (not, as it turns out, Anthony Fauci) and say to them, "I don't know how to explain to you why you should care about other people."
People who take #1 as a reason not to vote in the system we have are not people I would trust inside my post-apolcalypse commune.
#2 & #3 is are the arguments I hear most often, and the creepy thing is, people who trot one of those out first usually follow up with each of the other reasons in turn, like they know their cake is shitty, so they keep piling on layers of frosting and sprinkles in hopes no one will notice.
I always notice. And I have lots of good counterarguments. Not succinct ones, though, or quick ones that lend themselves to online written form. I don't have the time or the bandwidth to get into online debates. Here's my position. Apathy is both understandable and unacceptable. Full stop. ( See also: "I don't know how to explain to you why you should care about other people." Apathy kills. Silence is and to the people doing the damage, lack of objection is the same as encouragement.)
#4...yeah. I get this feel. I do. But it's still an unacceptable excuse for not-voting. Harsh reality: so few people vote now that a tiny minority determine the result. This has been true since at least the 80's, no lie. The Moral Majority was neither, but hey, they voted their candidates in, and now here we are.
A freaking tidal wave of people doing uninformed voting--randomly selecting candidates, even--would honest to goodness provide a more legitimate outcome than allowing a loud, motivated minority to sweep the field. I can show this with statistics. Am I going to do it here on a blog? Hell, no.
#5. is the only reason I accept as legitimate--and that acceptance comes with a couple of big caveats. If someone makes this objection, I will offer to help them get registered. I will show them how to protect their right to vote. I will assist them in getting the time away from work if necessary. Hell, I will drive them to a polling place.
If people in our government or people who want to govern us are making it harder for people to vote, it's because they're scared of those voters. Let's not disappoint them.
So let's be scary. Be strong. Vote while we still can, so at least we can say we tried, that one time.
Have some bees n flowers to cleanse the brain space.
Until next time! I’ll try to find something less judgy n ranty to post.