You know, even though I've got this blog that doesn't get a lot of traffic, I can still use it for the greater good. I could have chosen to blog about a pet, entertainment news, partying, the list goes on, but instead I chose to focus on politics (for the most part).
When discussing politics, I think it's important to welcome opinions from both sides of the fence, and even from the cracks in between. Listening to other opinions helps to make for a stronger defense of your own opinion sometimes, and other times, it may open your eyes to a different way of thinking and may even alter your initial opinion.
So? Get to the point, you may be thinking now, or maybe even yelling out loud...
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So, I've been dealing with the slap in the face that is Sarah Palin for nearly two weeks now. I asked myself the other day, does this woman really deserve all of this attention?? Sadly, yes, because I don't think that everyone out there realizes what would befall this great nation should this ticket be chosen to lead this country; however, I feel that the MSM and even bloggers have become too wrapped up in this obsession with Palin that they (we) have allowed other real issues to fall by the wayside. Reading the Daily Kos yesterday, I was reminded of an issue that so affected me last election cycle...
My First Chance to Vote in the General Election... Almost...
Back in my sophomore year of college, I was so excited to get to participate in the political process for the first time ever. Registered as "unaffiliated" in the great state of Maryland (hey, after what happened in 2000 - my sophomore year in high school where my National, State, and Local Government class analyzed the states and came up with Gore winning - why would I affiliate myself with either of the "dominant" political parties?), I was unable to vote in the primaries (we have closed primaries). Since I was attending a college in New York, there was no way I would be able to go home to vote in the elections (we were in the heart of volleyball season, and I was in school), so I applied for an absentee ballot. See, I didn't believe in the whole "I can't make it, so I'm not voting" bull that some of my acquaintances were pulling. My roommate (who is from Florida, ironically) and I were just so excited that we could still participate in our first general election. See, we had faith in the system. We thought that we would receive our absentee ballots, which we'd applied for WELL in advance. The weeks passed, and still no ballots. I called to follow-up, and they had allegedly been sent. Allegedly. Not in actuality.
When the elections finally came, and I STILL hadn't received my absentee ballot, I was beyond peeved. I was furious. I watched in absolute horror as Chimpy took the election once again. I heard about all of the shenanigans that surrounded that election, including the purge of voter lists, random pull-overs by the police for Black voters headed to the polls, etc. It was one of the first times in my life that I realized that the good guy doesn't always win, or at least in this case, the lesser of two evils.
Even though I learned this tough life lesson, I still fight for the good guy. I still fight for my rights. I still believe in voting. I still believe in the political process.
When I read articles about how the voter lists are being purged yet again, I wonder when we are going to see the coverage this issue deserves. It doesn't matter if Sarah Palin is running if nobody is going to be voting anyway. We need to make sure this election is legit, for all of the college students out there voting for the first time, and for the sake of our country's image in the international arena.
I'm praying for you, America!
When the elections finally came, and I STILL hadn't received my absentee ballot, I was beyond peeved. I was furious. I watched in absolute horror as Chimpy took the election once again. I heard about all of the shenanigans that surrounded that election, including the purge of voter lists, random pull-overs by the police for Black voters headed to the polls, etc. It was one of the first times in my life that I realized that the good guy doesn't always win, or at least in this case, the lesser of two evils.
Even though I learned this tough life lesson, I still fight for the good guy. I still fight for my rights. I still believe in voting. I still believe in the political process.
When I read articles about how the voter lists are being purged yet again, I wonder when we are going to see the coverage this issue deserves. It doesn't matter if Sarah Palin is running if nobody is going to be voting anyway. We need to make sure this election is legit, for all of the college students out there voting for the first time, and for the sake of our country's image in the international arena.
I'm praying for you, America!
