I hate spectator sports

[ciroccoj]

I hate feeling helpless. Every four years, a huge part of the fates of 6.5 billion people rests in the hands of ~240 million Americans (not counting those who cannot vote). So much of our economy, environment, physical and cultural safety, etc, for good or bad, rides on decisions that we can do nothing about. Except watch, and hope.

At least there's a high voter turnout this year. It always feels like a slap in the face to me, when I read voter turnout figures. It's like... billions of the rest of us would give an arm and a leg to be able to decide the shape of our futures. You have the right to decide yours and ours... and you can't be bothered to do so? Ouch.

::sigh:: Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean.



ETA: ::sigh:: OK, you know where I said "It feels like a slap in the face"? I am actually aware it's not meant to be. And as for commenting rather snarkily on this entry, and then deleting your own comment? Please don't do that.

::is grumpy::

Comments

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

Hey, when I see those same figures -- heck, when I'm AT the poll and see the teeny little lines -- it feels like a slap in the face to me, as well. Voting is such an awe-full honor and responsibility, and so many Americans could apparently care less. I get irked about folks bitching about jury duy, too. The turnout we're getting for this election should be the turnout we have for EVERY election.

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

(JESSEBEE! *waves hi*)

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

*waves back*

[bast2.livejournal.com]

jessebee!! You're back? I've missed you so!

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

::waves:: (totally unrelated) I was just thinking about you the other day at choir!

Yeah, I won't even go into the utter ggrrrrrr I feel when I look at Canadian turnout figures. This year was completely pathetic - 59% or something? In our defense, it was our third federal election in about as many years - and I'm sadly not exaggerating by all that much here - but still. God, it's not a monthly event, it's not particularly onerous (I've never stood in a single line!) and it's choosing your leader. The one you're going to bitch about for the next X years! At least earn the right to bitch!

Yesterday's lines going out the door and down the streets? Made me admire America more than I have in a long, long time. Whether they were voting for Obama or McCain, seeing people take this seriously was a welcome and wonderful change.

[snarkhunter.livejournal.com]

Heh.

No snark here, except that which comes attached to my name. I'm *glad* I get the chance to vote in this election. We do have enormous power in the world, and it's disgusting that so many of us throw away our votes. Of course, I think one reason why people don't always turn out is their frustration with our system. The electoral college means that our votes *don't* always count, and it's not much of a way to run a democracy. (I just read that b/c our turnout is usually ~60%, the system is not actually set up to handle the sheer number of voters they're getting today...and basically people voting after they get off work tonight are fucked. Go America. I think we need the UN to run our elections, seriously.)

I took my camera out today. It feels historic--I've never seen anything like the lines that were out there, and I hope it means that this is going to make a difference. (And I hope that Toledo has no reason to use the police force out in riot gear today.)

[daf9.livejournal.com]

**hangs head** I'm one of those bad people. I don't vote because I can't vote because I've lived in the USA for 17 years now and I haven't bothered to take out citizenship. Bad daf.

[shiningmoon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I voted. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from this election.

What pisses me off are the obvious attempts by those who would steal the vote to say, try to convince students that they'll lose their financial aid if they vote at their college (A LIE); people with outstanding parking tickets will be arrested at their polling places (A LIE); people getting robocalls telling them to vote from home (WTF?!?); and the best (?) of them all, printing up letters telling Democrats to vote on the 5th (yes, the letter specifically says this) due to the high expected turnout (A BIG FAT WHOPPER OF A LIE).

[13oct.livejournal.com]

AMEN!!!

[bast2.livejournal.com]

This is the first presidential election in which I've abstained. Possibly I deserve kudos for voting in all the previous ones--but I just couldn't this time. I've explained my reasons. No slap intended.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

I don't recall you explaining your reasons - in fact I recall you saying you weren't going to ;) - but like I said, I know it's not an intentional slap. And in any case, I wasn't talking about you.

People don't vote for all sorts of reasons, many of them quite valid. But the huge numbers that don't vote in American (and Canadian) elections aren't all folks who have come to the well-thought out or principled conclusion that for this election or for these candidates or on this date, they simply cannot or will not vote. And they aren't all folks who can't read or write, or who work extremely long hours, or who have serious medical conditions, or other valid reasons for not being able to be politically involved.

They are mostly people who just don't give a damn. They don't know who the candidates are, they don't know what they stand for, they don't know what their leaders do, they don't know what their country does at home or abroad, and they don't know because they don't give a damn. Their tax money is used to do things in their name, at home and abroad. Things that affect them and the people and countries around them... and they don't care.

That's not thoughtful or principled. That's irresponsible and unacceptable. It's unacceptable if you're a citizen of a tiny, powerless, backward republic nobody has heard of, because at the very least your government is going to be making decisions about your fellow citizens and/or your children's futures. It's even more unacceptable when you're a citizen of a powerful, wealthy country that will influence the course of people's lives all over the world.

You knew the issues. You knew the candidates. You chose to not use your vote, for the first time. Whether I agree with your choice or not, it's not the same as not even realizing there's a vote going on, and having as your default position "election = not my problem."

[fearciuil.livejournal.com]

::holds hand up timidly::

I voted!

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

::high-fives you::