the3:00book: "Why I Didn't Vote Yesterday" by Beth Heinly

I have voted in every election, primary, what have you, since I turned eighteen years old. My dad made me do it, he's republican. The last time I participated in a fair and exciting! election where I actually felt I had made a difference was in the 2nd grade. Dukakis won. Since that time I have seen two full term republican presidents, one lame ass term republican president and one democratic president nearly impeached for getting a blow job. People.....men love blow jobs. Ladies.....men cheat on girls. It's true. Men.....women cheat too. Yes. And does anybody remember when the president we voted for didn't get elected? Does anybody remember Al Gore NOT fighting for our votes? If a presidential candidate is helpless in fighting for his votes where does that leave us? WTF? And what president Clinton had to go through while in office is shocking! I can remember watching him during the impeachment process describe M.L.'s vagina. Who was making him waste his time? It seemed like the public was for it, but it always seems that way. It reminds me of George Orwell's 1984 when crowds of people ministerially spoke in unison, numb to what was actually being said, propaganda at it's finest: vocal. I wanted to vote for the independent candidates in the last two elections, but I was afraid. I was terrified of republicans. Anyone who wants the constitution to stay just the way it was written over two hundred years ago seems a bit backward to me. I was told, "Al Gore will lose votes!" "Kerry will lose votes!" The best you can do is vote locally; mayor, senate, house of representatives, etc., which rarely has a third party running. This year it seems for presidential candidate third party we have Ron Paul (who was a Regan supporter) and Ralph Nader with running mate Matt Gonzalez (from San Francisco). Nuff' said. Seriously, check them out. From 2nd grade to now my political understanding and views have not changed much. I have never been able to break through the bullshit. It seems to me political repartee consists of symbols thrown back and forth between masses of people both, visually and vocally, having no concept of how the symbols work, but instead intuitively pick one and go with it, which inherently demands my involvement. Well, not this year because I don't know. Because we live in houses with cars and work at jobs with clothes forgetting about the ideal where community comes before the individual. I'm not suggesting giving away our precious possessions. I'm suggesting we think less about them. With that extra time we might be able to, together, stop the corrupt campaigning that dominates elections and sways votes with empty phrases. I walked out of my house yesterday and found litter on my front step, more than usual. Paper with phrases like, "Vote!", "Pro-Choice!", "Pro-Life!", "Peace!", "Hope!", "Change!". Perfect ways of giving a citizen information without telling them anything and littering at the same time. More trash, junk, pollution and jobs for people who work in the paper business.