"The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by [people] for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison [people] because they are different from other [people]."
- President Lyndon B. Johnson when he signed the
Voting Rights Act of 1965.
That statement is as true today as it was then. But today it seems fewer and fewer believe it. Even today as I was relieved at work, I asked the person relieving me if they had voted and the reply was “I never vote, both parties are the same.” It is a similar belief that seems to permeate the 99%/Occupy movements. It saddens me. While I admit, as a young man I too was hoodwinked by that terrible fiction, I have since realized my mistake. There are others that realize that the 2 major parties are not the same but are discouraged because the best choice is only “the lesser of two evils”, and finally there are those that “protest” by boycotting the election, either because they want to “send the candidate a message” or simply because they are disheartened because they could not get as much done as was “promised”.
On the idea that “Both Parties are the Same”. This simply isn’t true. While I have my choices as to which is the choice for me, I will not share it here, but I will try to dispel the myth that they are the same. One Party has CONSISTANTLY cut taxes while overspending on things like unfunded wars. They fight AGAINST unions and other groups that support WORKING PEOPLE while also fighting to cut . One side wants to CUT Regulations on the largest businesses in the name of “freedom” while trying to regulate who we marry, and what people share with their doctors and even what happens in the bedroom (how is that Freedom?). One side has fought to get us Universal Healthcare, and while it did NOT happen, it only didn’t because the OTHER SIDE fought so hard against it. One side has tried to regulate the banks that collapsed our economy – the other continues to fight against them AND to give MORE tax cuts for the VERY PEOPLE that profited off that thievery, while the rest of us have lost wages and benefits (for those of us “lucky” enough to even have a job). One side has made proposals on how we might rebuild infrastructure and keep teachers, firefighters and police – the other has only blocked it. The choices are NEARLY OPPOSITE – One side wants to regulate business and give individuals more freedom, the other wants to regulate individual choice and give businesses more freedom. They just are not the same.
On “The Lesser of Two Evils”. This is a little easier to understand. While the two parties are NOT the same, there can sometimes seem to be a lot of similarities. So, I researched it and found that one party is SIGNIFIGANTLY better than the other when it comes to HELPING WORKING PEOPLE. I could almost repeat much of what is above, I wont. But I will add to it a bit. One reason why it seems like only a lesser of 2 evils, that is because even the MAJORITY Party has to work WITH the minority. It has taken us 30 YEARS of bad policy to get us into this mess, slowly chipping away at the foundation of the middle class – it will take time to rebuild; especially when one group is doing EVERYTHING they can to stifle that process. (Lets remember, the President went to Harvard, NOT HOGWARTS – he cannot simply wave a magic wand and fix things. And he can only sign the legislation the CONGRESS sends to his desk)
On Boycotting to “Send a Message” or because you are disheartened. Simply put, where Boycotting works on a For-Profit industry (BECAUSE IT CUT INTO PROFITS) it does not work on voting. Why – because there are ALWAYS some that WILL vote, so by you sitting out YOU ONLY GIVE MORE POWER TO SOMEONE ELSE’S VOTE. If you don’t like the Republican Party, but are disheartened by the Democrats and decide not to vote – YOU DOUBLE THE POWER OF THE REPUBLICAN THAT VOTES (or vice versa) SO THEY WIN. The ONLY message you send when you don’t vote is “There is no reason to worry about that groups interests”. The Tea Party is such a HUGE political force BECAUSE THEY VOTE. If the 99% want to be also, they MUST turn out to the polls. In 2010 many Democrats disheartened with Obama stayed home, but the Tea Party did not – and Republicans won the day in not only congress, but also in many State Legislatures and Governorships – so if you are one who stayed home – YOU ARE PARTLY TO BLAME now that they are trying to restrict votes and break unions – AND now that the CONGRESS doesn’t do ANYTHING except threaten to SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT (3 times!!!) to stop Obama from doing anything.
I realize that this wont change many people’s minds, but I would have been remiss if I didn’t say it. The ONLY Political Capital is Votes; I know people think it’s money, but money is only important because money buys advertising – thus getting VOTES! The right to vote was hard fought for, some people LITERALLY DIED for the right to vote, BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT. Perhaps if my words have not persuaded you, I will end on someone else’s who might.
"Voting is the foundation stone for political action. The basic elements so vital to … advancement can only be achieved by seeking redress from government at local, state and Federal levels. To do this the vote is essential."
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to civil rights demonstrators.
