On Nov. 6, Americans of all colors, creeds, religions (or non-religion, if that’s your thing) and political leanings will take to the polls, at least a small percentage of them, that is. Sad, isn’t it, that so many either refuse to vote or can’t be bothered with the next four years of our country’s leadership? Yet nearly everyone, or so it seems, likes to snivel, whine, moan and yammer once the results are in, particularly if their guy (or gal) doesn’t win.
My take? One has no right to complain if they refrain from voting, and for those who’ll willingly go on record saying “it doesn’t do any good” or “what difference does it make,” well ... let’s just say that is certainly your right as an American – not to vote – yet your credibility is, for better or worse, going to be called into question.
How can I possibly know that, you ask? Because I used to be one of those people, as hard as I find that to believe in hindsight. In fact, Election Day 2012 will mark only the third time I’ve voted for a commander in chief, although I hate to admit it.
Actually, I take that back. My first foray into the political ring took place way back in 1980 (I think), when I begged my parents – and a small group of their friends – to vote for ZZ Top for president. And no, I’m not joking. When I was all of three (or maybe four) years old, MTV (or perhaps it was Saturday Night Live) held its very own presidential election, pitting Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard versus Republican nominee Ronald Reagan.
Needless to say, ZZ Top won in a landslide, if I remember correctly. To say I was dispirited when told it wasn’t the real election is – as they say – an understatement.
Seriously, though, my first trip to the voting booth was in 2004, following the absolute debacle that was the 2000 presidential election (you know, when the other guy actually won). I suppose I’d finally grasped the importance of casting my vote, and – at the time – was firmly convinced another four years of George W. Bush would simply lead to more casualties thanks to more money spent on what I considered (and still consider) immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I voted again in 2008 (yes, for Hope and Change) and I will vote again in less than two weeks.
And yes, I truly feel it’s every American’s personal duty to get out and vote, it simply took me awhile to grow up and realize it.
You know that saying, the more things change the more they stay the same? That’s each and every presidential election I can remember – from Reagan to Bush, Clinton to Bush Jr. to Barack Obama – in a nutshell. The debates may be fancier, the cable news coverage more extensive (to the point of insanity, if you ask me), although the end result ... well, it’s about the same. This most recent trio of debates, however, went a long way toward proving one simple, well known fact: a politician, any politician, will tell you exactly what you want to hear if it will get them into the Oval Office. It’s that simple.
Looking back, I can recall pestering my mother and stepfather on their choice for president in November of 1992, the Clinton versus George H.W. Bush election. I was 15 years old, a sophomore in high school, and curious as to why my parents never seemed all that eager to discuss politics. It was explained to me, in the end, that an individual’s vote is a personal choice, one not necessarily shared simply for the sake of sharing it. It seemed to me at the time a ridiculous answer to my queries, yet (once again) in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. It was their vote – my parents – their decision, based on their own ideals, hopes, worries, concerns and personal politics. Nowadays, of course, it’s almost impossible to strike up a conversation without politics coming into play, or so it seems, yet I’m forced to wonder if that’s necessarily a good thing.
There are any number of issues at stake come Nov. 6, no surprise given the state of our union, whether it’s abortion, the economy, terrorism, same sex marriage, the legalization of marijuana, climate change, energy independence, the list goes on and on. Yet of all the potentially damaging topics up for debate, I think the biggest threat facing our country is ... well, us.
Let’s face it, partisan politics are now the name of the game and it’s a game that can’t be won. At stake? The future of our country. At risk? Everything that past generations of Americans have worked, fought, lived and died for.
And yet none of that matters if you don’t get out and vote. It’s as simple as that.
Follow me on Twitter ... @evesunbrian.
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