The Idea That People Would Choose Not to Vote... It's Mind Blowing
I tweeted out an article today discussing the discrepancies between white and black voters mail in ballots being rejected in North Carolina. Mind you, I wasn't in the least surprised to hear that this is going on. But it got me thinking.
The election is right around the corner. Things are starting to heat up as the candidates vie for the highest office in the land. The mud is starting to sling, and the media is reporting every last bit of foolishness. But underneath it all there is this whisper of disturbing ... I guess, potential inaction? The idea that some voters, especially minority voters, would choose not to vote because they don't think it matters is bubbling away beneath the surface.
Why? Well, there's a sense of hopelessness, political fatigue, malaise — take your pick —spreading throughout the country. We've been battling for months now — everyone — COVID, racial protests, economic woes. And there is this defeated attitude of why vote at all when I dislike all of the candidate options, or I don't believe it will do any good?
But choosing not to vote — I just don't think that's the right strategy.
First of all, now is not the time to be passive. Like, not at all. Your vote matters. You have political power. If you didn't, why would the wanna be powers that be work so hard to prevent people from voting? Think about violent voter suppression, those elevated numbers of rejected mail in ballots for Black voters. That's not an accident.
Not voting is like not wearing a mask. Will you choose to invite the possibility of sickness and death because you choose not to bear with a little discomfort? Of course, it is your choice. But really what kind of choice is that?
Second, sometimes one must be strategic in choosing the best option, even when the options presented are not to one's liking. The idea that EOD Nov. 2nd when the votes are tallied, and the results come in, and this person or that one is named the winner by a hair... Well, if the next President isn't who you want it to be, and it comes down to just a few votes, how will you feel? To know that the future of the country could be decided by so little, and you could have, but chose not to do your part?
Because it's not a little decision, is it? Think about how much has changed in four years. Some would say that your life won't change much whoever is in office, and in some respects there may be some truth to that. On the other hand, it's utterly false. I feel entirely confident saying that the tone of the country, how we're viewed on the world stage, that there is now undeniable evidence that certain groups of tax-paying citizens within this country are treated horribly, so many things have changed drastically. It's been eye-opening, for sure.
So, please.
If you are eligible, register to vote.
Prepare to vote. Get your mask and gloves ready. Exercise your legs and feet to stand in line and do your civic duty.
Vote.
November 3rd really is non-negotiable. It's seriously the least, and the most, that we can do as Americans.