November 2, 2010

• I vote because of Mr.Smith

  Reasons why I voted this year:

  1. It makes my mother happy

  2. It makes me feel like I am a part of my country (Even if I am leaving in less than two months)

  3. I got a sticker

  4. You can’t complain if you don’t try to do something about it (Now I can complain all I want)

  5. It makes me feel like a responsible adult (so does buying a toothbrush, but still)

  6. I have friends in the military/government that work hard and I respect. I owe it to them

  7. I want to be a part of the great heritage given to me. To honor the great men and women who have given their lives for the freedom to vote

  8. It overcomes the guilt I sometimes feel in not being responsible and learning what is going on in the nation

  9. I get to see Mr.Smith. He is always at the voter place, and it just makes me so happy and FAMILIAR to see him every time. He is someone you can count on. I would vote for him for anything

  I am probably one of the few people who hasn’t seen any political anything. I haven’t watched TV in years. I only read the comics. I avoid arguing about it by simply stating “I don’t know enough to argue one way or the other.” A cop out really, because I only have one life, and have decided that politics isn’t important enough to clutter up this one life. My mom catches me up with the outside world about once a week, and that works for me.

  But there is something special about voting. In Brazil, it is mandatory to vote. Super weird. It is a completely different way of looking at things. It sure does get everyone involved though…but it just feels a little dirty to me.

  Since I am not in the country much, not many things effect me. I feel strongly on the rights of unborn children and their mothers, and libraries. That is about it. When it came down to voting, I cringe and think “man, I have to find out about these guys.”

  What goes through Rachel’s head as she votes/prepares to vote:

  1. I go through sources I trust. I got a voter guide from Advance America. Why them? Because I sang at the Capital building with Eric Miller, and he seemed like a good guy. I asked my mom and close friends: “Any particular candidate you like, or extremely DON’T like?”

  2. I only accept fliers from people who look friendly and nice. The sweet old man outside the voter place won some votes for his people, because I saw he cared about it enough to inconvenience himself and stand in the cold for it.

  3. When it is me and the ballot, I don’t want to be stuck into marking “one ticket.” I want to be individual.

  4. The process: I first go through and vote for the people who voted for things I agree with. Then I looked at the flier the nice old man gave me. But there are a lot of people on there! The ones I didn’t know anything about…honestly? I read the names. If someone has a name I like, I vote for them. I make sure I vote for some women…I think they diversify the bunch. And then I turn in the ballot, like the responsible adult that I am.

  Don’t look down your nose at me. You know that when it comes down to it, not all of your reasons for who you voted for were any more “ethical” than mine. Taking an honest look at voting…it all has to do with relationships, and personal individuality to me. Don’t ask me who I voted for either…it is a secret.

   

  • 12:14 pm
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