The Right to Vote

These days, my voice is nothing unique.  There is nothing fresh or discoverable in my infrequent blogs, my frequent Facebook rants, or the monthly letters I send to the local papers for print.  Mine is but one of millions who have decided that it is appropriate to stand up and stand out.  We have voices that are strong and proud.  We have voices that are wrong many times and right many others.  Most importantly, we have voices that are legal, and if I may be so bold as to say, required to be sounded and heard across this great nation.  Where we have run into trouble as of late is in the subordination of our voices to the louder gongs of others who care not about you and me, but for D and R.  It is Darwinism at its finest.

My concern lies with the translation (or lack thereof) of all of these voices into votes.  We elected Barack Obama to the Office of the President with 57% of the voting age population casting a ballot.  That is the highest turnout rate since the Vietnam War.  Ninety million stayed home.  For the greatest right on earth, the right to vote and redress your own government without fear of harm or death, 90 million stayed on the couch.  I wonder how many of those millions are standing beside me and my voice, just to go back to that couch in November.

Do you know that there are more fans of Lady GaGa on Facebook than there are fans of the Tea Party, or the Democratic Party, or the Republican Party?  Where are we as a nation?  Seriously, ask yourself the question.  Ask your neighbor.  For goodness sake, ask the person who is asking YOU for YOUR vote.

I plan on attending more than a few political rallies this fall, both of the Elephant and Donkey varieties.  Here are my questions of those who wish me to send them into public life:

To my elephant friends:

·         We have not seen fiscal conservatism in action, under your watch, in the White House or Congress since the 60s.  Why should anyone believe you wish to pursue it now?

·         Although the only cries I hear from the GOP are when the rich may see tax increases, I assume your stance is that taxes are inherently unfair if not equally applied.  Why have you not asked for nor imposed a Flat or Fair Tax?  Our currently unfair tax system has survived every Republican Politician since the Civil War.

·         How small is small government, specifically?

·         Have you sent back your social security check?

·         Do you take care of your elderly family, 100% out of pocket, to avoid burdening the rest of us with the socialist Medicare and Medicaid programs?

To my donkey peeps:

·         Why is it important for all of us to carry personal health insurance, but demand that it is our employers who must provide for it?  If it is so important for us to be insured, should the burden not be upon me to find it?

·         What part of "expenses cannot exceed revenues" is tough to get a handle on?  Why will you not support a Balanced Budget Amendment?  Trust me; I’ll drive on rough roads.  Trust me; the $18MM you just gave my son’s school for a new building could’ve been saved if you just gave the school $1MM for books and computers.  Compulsive spending is killing us.

·         When, specifically, will you stop deficit spending?

·         When do you begin to take responsibility for your decisions and stop blaming your predecessor?  I do not believe our situation was a secret when you ran for office.

By the way, I don’t expect any answers.  And those candidates shouldn’t expect my support.  However, I will not give up my vote.  I will simply use the Write-In space, and vote for myself.