Why I Will Vote In 2010
Clearly, our system is not as efficient or as just as it could (or in fact, SHOULD) be. But at the moment it’s what we have, and in spite of its numerous problems, votes do affect it for better or for worse. The more people vote, the more representative of collective national opinion and preference our government becomes. I think this is good even though I disagree with much of that national opinion.
Also I find it a travesty that so much money is spent on these negative, personal-attack ads while so many folks are homeless, so many roads and gas pipes are crumbling, our students rank only 20th on the world stage in science and math, and that our mentally ill are so often left to fend for themselves. While it’s true that no political party is without fault in all of this, we can’t effect change if we do not vote. If you don’t like either of the “big” parties, then vote for independents or Tea Party candidates.
In this age of hype, disinformation, personal attacks, and hate speech, it’s definitely hard to know who would best serve the national interest based solely on what the candidates say. Nonetheless, the quintessential hallmark of our representative democracy I believe, is our ability to vote. Thus, as hard as it can be to decide who to support, we Americans should at least take a stab at it for the sake of the nation. I typically vote with my heart (which admittedly tends to bleed for the less fortunate souls among us) with the hope that someday, our system will work itself out if enough people get involved with it. To this end, I sincerely hope that you will vote too.