.... than the simple act of voting.
Do it now. If you already have, ask your friends, family, and co-workers if they have. If they are busy, offer to cover their load while they vote.
Too many people have died to give you this simple honor. Too many throughout the world have died trying to get what you take for granted. Right now in prisons throughout the planet - men and women greater than you and me are being deprived their freedom simply because they would like to have a vote as a free person in a free society.
Vote. Wallow in the glorious imperfections of our Representative Republic and vote. If you don't vote - then shut up. You are a slave; act like one and take what you are given.
Check back later today - I'll live blog as things roll in starting 7pm EST.
34 comments:
Vote. Just do it. And if you are too frustrated with local politicians from both parties, run yourself, or find a friend worthy and convince him to run. Independents do happen.
Or as they say in Chicago: Vote early. Vote often!
Actually, in one of those weird IL politics things, it turns out the senator who took Obama's seat should have been chosen by the people, not appointed by our most recently convicted, felonious ex-governor. So we vote twice for senator: one to finish out Obama's term. One to start a new term in January.
“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote.”
Which explains a lot about the tea party and a lot about what's missing in the country today.
Wow, Phib makes a non-partisan exhortation to vote and you bring the weapons grade liberal stupid. Tea partiers are voting, which contradicts your first statement.
Skippy, you personify the term "invincible ignorance."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invincible_ignorance_fallacy
Amen, Brother Sal, Amen!
<span><span>"Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, the people alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness require it." --John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776</span></span>
Polls open up here in Da North Woods at 0700. SWMBO was there bright and early before pressing on to heal the sick up on Da' Range. I walked in at 0740 after dropping Son #2 at school. Was sure to vote for a guy I served alongside of at my last duty station who, as an ordinary citizen, stood up about a year ago and said "This is all wrong," went to his mayor and asked "what does it take to run for Congress?" He's running against a 34-year incumbent who like many Congress Critters, considered this District "his" seat. Million-dollar mansion outside of DC, small house at "home." (Yeah, right) Won his last election with 68% of the vote. My friend (also, I will admit, an Airdale) was told "you don't have a prayer." As of last Friday, he was within 1% of being tied. With about 30% of the budget His Highness had available. I like democracy within this Republic.
I don't really care what your politics are, if you haven't already submitted your absentee ballot, then go vote, regardless if your choices win or lose. It's your duty.
"...That, to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
That, should any form of Government become destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government..."
Dat gest also be me.
I'm on my way right now. One more vote for a constitutional, limited government is about to be cast!
Sad to see someone as smart as you are, Skippy, voting "against" something instead of "for" something. You'd be surprised how reasonable the folks who believe in the Tea Party are...just like me.
There is nothing pious about my condescension towards you and others of the hive-mind.
It's a wonder you didn't throw your back out with that pretzel logic.
I get to see plenty of these folks down here in Hooterville. Reasonable is probably the last adjective that can be applied to them when it comes to politics. As for voting "for" something, I'm voting for moving the country forward into the world that is, not the world people wish they could be.
I'd probably be more understanding of the tea party outrage if they had bothered to express it prior to January 20th 2009. But they didn't.
Back at you brother!
<span>Who's in possession of the government, if not the American people? </span>
Corporations and the very rich. Tea Partiers are mad at all the wrong people.
Ah yes, Chicago politics, teleprompter, ACORN, Alinsky, socialism. And you wonder why people think you're mindless drones. But go on parroting Frank Luntz's talking points.
The Badger parked his truck at the PD at the end of the night shft at 0700, walked up two flights into City Hall, took the elevator up another 4, AND VOTED! A straight Republican ticket.
Just to make my feelings clear, I raided the spare parts room last night before work, and swapped out the blue dome on the right side of the lightbar for a RED one! When I go back to work Thursday night, I have to switch it back, before anyone notices.
Civic Duty Accomplished.
Cast my absentee ballot via mail about a month ago. Hope everyone else gets out and votes today. As the guy said at the end of Saving Private Ryan, "Earn This". Generations of Patriots have paid the price for our right to cast a vote, don't let them down.
Andy, Same thing out here. My congressman (often referred to as "D-Boeing") has been in DC as a staffer and a congressman since I was a midshipman. I routinely vote against him because he's out of touch with the folks back home and his office is unresponsive.
Good luck to your former shipmate, regardless of his politics. Getting actual citizens into government is a good thing. The only drawback is that it could increase the power of the professional staffer, who I see as the real problem.
I cast my vote by mail last Thursday. I've considered voting both a privilege and a duty and have made a point of doing so regardless of where I was stationed. Every time I vote I think of folks lined up for hours to vote in some Third World s***hole in hopes of influencing their political process despite real election fraud and death threats in an attempt to discourage their participation.
Honorable Skippy-san:
Kudasai dozo.
I would never tell anyone what to think. I just tell them what I think. Sometimes I advise them to think, vice emote, or repeat the party line
I wish everyone would think it through.
I wish more would think through "where will the money come from to pay off that much debt?"
All to often the problem is not what one wants to do, but what one has the cash to do.
Think on that a bit.
Arigato (whatever the polite form is).
As for political parties, (more or less phonetically) "Dovyay no Provyay"
"I like democracy within this Republic" - Amen, Andy.
Up here we have a 26-year Navy vet (former attack sub CO and recent CO of the Subase) taking on an 85-year-old incumbent for State Senate. He should win, and it will be wonderful for my state.
I proudly voted at 7 AM this morning, no lines but the parking lot was hoppin' - good to see.
Arigatou gozaimasu! O tsukari sama deshita!
Ki wo Tsukete, ne?
(Thank you-for your hard effort)
( Be careful-eh?)
Shopping Mall times did an article of who would be the big losers from this election defense wise. Boeing was projected to take a lot of hits here in the greater Shopping Mall area. GMD, NASA, and Army Aviation triple wammy.
Can anyone report preliminary results? I am going to sleep as here it is close to midnight. Gonna check this space tomorrow. BTW, I got lock on to really good naval-themed manga for Skippy, if he wants it... Goodnight!
Almost, ewok! Polls generally start closing at 1900 EDT.
I've never watched Fox News, last listened to Limbaugh about 15 years back, and I am conservative. For me if a candidate is not pro-life then that person pretty much will not get my vote, be they conservative or progressive.
I was USN enlisted from 1976-96. My co-workers tell me I was brainwashed to think this way in boot camp.
During my time in, I recall few political discussions. I am not angry nor afraid. That is all I can say.
Andy:
I was in this candidat's home town of Lindstrom, MN making sales calls. Chip Cravaack is this candidate, and he is the RIGHT man for this district. Almost went to his victory party at the lengendary Tobie's in Hinckley
He is a member of my Navy League council, as I'm the VEEP, and I have board members who volunteered for him. We profiled him and his candidacy in our Scuttlebut magazine, 5,000 copies printed.
I've literally prayed all day that he wins -because he has earned it.
"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- <span>that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.:</span>
Short Skippy: Half the potential voters are too lazy, and the other half who do vote are stupid.
Even shorter Skippy: You hate me... you really hate me!!
...And a message to Skippy from Matthews, Olbermann, and Maddow, via MSNBC: we want our blinders back.
Grandpa, Skippy lost sight of honor a while ago. These days he's all about lecturing the rest of the world on how stupid they are, and how right he is. Barry Obama would be challenged to find a more faithful tool this side of Rahm Emanuel. Sad, but true.
'Tis a pity that the majority of the moonbats in the Golden State -- at least those concentrated in the SFO/LAX urban areas -- apparently disagree with you.
Get out while you still have a chance. Trust me, you won't regret it. Let California sink.
Actually its not true-but hey believe whatever lies you want.
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