Why to vote (and why it should be for Democrats)
Look, I get it. No one likes “talking politics” but we need to… and people overusing that as an excuse to not to discuss things with their friends, family and neighbors is part of the problem. That thinking breeds a culture of apathy toward political parties, the policies they stand for, and who wins elections. People who default to saying things like “It doesn’t matter, all politicians are the same,” make me angry and sound incredibly ignorant, stupid, or both.
If you are eligible to vote in the Unites States and choose not to, you should strongly reconsider. Whether you like it or not, the politicians and the initiatives on the ballot will have a major effects on your life and you should participate in the process.
The biggest barrier to voting is getting and staying registered, check your status now for funsies. Why is that the biggest barrier to voting? Because over 90% of people who are registered to vote in the US, vote.
While I care who you vote for, and we may disagree, I genuinely want your participation. It doesn’t make sense to me that people don’t care enough to choose between the Dem or GOP candidate. These are the people who make the laws! How to spend your taxes! You should care about who they are and what they are implementing!
Also, if you are not voting and suddenly start, I think there is a good chance we will be likeminded in how we vote. Why? Because the polling of what “Americans agree with” and what 50% of the government tries to implement are at odds with each other.
There are numerous examples: women’s reproductive rights, how much to tax the richest 1% of Americans, doing more about what is becoming the climate crisis and the separation of church and state.
While you may think that your vote doesn’t matter to these amorphous topics, it does. Thousands of judges were confirmed under the Trump administration, including three on the Supreme Court, and they are implementing their beliefs on the American public.
In a perfect scenario what would happen is a national referendum on the topics that are straightforward issues like legalizing same-sex marriage or the right to an abortion. Instead of voting for candidates, we would vote on general solution ideas. Some of the solutions would be easy, while others would be taken up by a functional congress who would then make laws to enact them.
But, unfortunately, that is not the reality we live in.
Here are the issues that I not only feel, but the surveys say, “we” (60+% of Americans) agree on. Remember, this should be the starting point of things, but the GOP aka MAGA aka Republicans are VEHEMENTLY against the majority on some/all of these.
Do you think a person should be able to choose if they want to be pregnant or not, up until the point when the fetus is viable outside of the womb? Yes, they should be able to choose.
Do you care if I can marry someone of the same sex/gender? No! Love who you want to love.
Do you care what religion I am, or if I am religious at all? No, and the state should never sponsor or favor any particular religion over another.
Do you think the Earth is getting hotter at an accelerated rate due to man-made climate change? Yes, we should do things to hinder/prepare for a climate crisis.
Do you think a medical emergency or diagnosis should bankrupt someone/their household? No, our healthcare system is deeply flawed and we should move toward universal healthcare, like all of our peer nations.
Do you think we should tax the richest Americans more? Yes! More politicians should be running on this platform, it wins across the aisle!
Do you think background checks and trainings should be required in order to purchase a gun? YES!! The majority of Americans want stricter gun laws!
Do you think we should get rid of partisan gerrymandering? YES! People should pick the politicians, not the other way around.
Again, the reason there is a disconnect between what Americans want/believe and what is enacted is due to the lack of voter participation. Please, do your part.
I know voting feels like you are adding a few grains of sand to a gigantic beach, but it really makes a difference. The last two presidential races were decided by less than 70,000 votes spread across three states… less than a typical T. Swift concert.
If you don’t, we will continue to wonder why the public wants one thing, but the government does the opposite. This continues the cycle of voter disenfranchisement.
If you want some extreme examples, look at what is happening in Wisconsin and North Carolina. Both are “purple” states, a near 50-50 split in statewide elections between Republicans and Democrats. So one would think that their State House and Senate should be close to 50-50, right? NOPE! Both are controlled by a super-majority because the states are gerrymandered so badly. Even when Democrats get over 50% of the vote, they do not get 50% of the state representation.
I am tired of living in the quiet majority and am getting frustrated that not enough people care about it… and you should feel the same!
I am not asking for a lot, just get registered and vote.
