This is Something

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I just got finished with my semi-weekly Facebook friend-list pass.  I am utterly inspired by how many of my friends are talking about voting today.  I have at least 50 status updates from friends encouraging others to go and vote.  Some mention who they are voting for, and others don’t.

The point I’m trying to make is that this is something.  My friends, who are generally apathetic about politics, are getting involved in this election; they have an emotional connection and a deep, strong hope that this nation’s politics will change.  Generation Y wants change; we’re hoping for change.

And we need change.  Too long have we been plagued with neoconservative bullshit.  Too long have we spent money and time on issues that are both irrelevant to common good and are not our own.  Too long have we, American citizens and residents, been represented by an administration that does not represent anything that we believe in, that we agree with, that we need.  Enough.

  • brian harris

    fuck yeah dude.

  • http://www.alexloddengaard.com Alex Loddengaard

    Haha, thanks for the comment, Brian :).

  • jsalvati

    I am actively apathetic about voting, and encourage others to be apathetic. Good intentions are not enough to create good government. You should only vote if you have good reason to think you make better political judgments than 50% of voters.

  • http://www.alexloddengaard.com Alex Loddengaard

    I completely disagree with you, Jsalvati. To be apathetic is to give in and give up. Our current political system is a necessary evil at this time, at this place, and to not vote is to throw out all of the bullshit that we’ve put up with, that we’ve been held responsible for. Perhaps you can take the approach that by not voting you’re disagreeing with our political nomination system, but this is silly, because it’s not going to change any time soon.

    Accept the necessary evil, and vote for the candidate that you think will do the better job. I suppose it doesn’t matter for you, because Washington is going Obama anyway ;).

  • jsalvati

    Remember, your vote dilutes the votes of others. you should only vote if you think you will in general do a better job of picking a government than 50% of voters. Now, I’m not that informed, but the average voter is even less informed, so I am reasonably confident that I make better judgments than 50% of the population, so if I have time, I’ll probably vote.

  • http://www.alexloddengaard.com Alex Loddengaard

    I definitely agree with this. To look at a single example, I know a few people that are voting for McCain simply because Obama is black. This is perhaps the worst, most unintelligent way to vote. It makes me ill to see such ignorance and intolerance.

    However, the system is the way it is. I presume you would rather see a different electoral system, one that puts the decision in to more informed, “professional” voters? Say more!

  • http://fishofthebay.com eric

    your last paragraph sounds like an obama speech.

    but yes, it’s interesting how many of my friends too have status updates like “I voted!” and how many people are walking around San Francisco with the “I voted!” stickers.

    I really think a lot has to do with the fact that this is the first election in history that’s so engrossed in popular media. When it comes down to it, we’re taking the energy and emotions we invest in movies and tv shows and directing it to something real-life. (See my post – http://www.fishofthebay.com/bubble.php?id=353)

  • http://www.alexloddengaard.com Alex Loddengaard

    Yeah, good point, Eric! Thanks for brining that up.

    I haven’t lived through that many elections, but I must say, there’s a lot of energy around this one. It gets me excited :).