Get out and vote!

[dbattman 0]

On November 5th you will have the opportunity to select the people that represent you in government. These are the people that spend your money, regulate your lives, and stand up for you and your interests.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html

These numbers show a very sorry state of this country. Fewer people are voting every year, particularly the younger voters. For those of you that slept through the 2000 election, a handful of votes decided who took the white house. YOUR VOTE COUNTS.

Get out there and vote. Don't make excuses. If you can't get there on the 5th, vote absentee at your county office. Hate the Democrats and the Republicans? Than find a candidate that best supports your beliefs and principals and give them your vote. Don't believe that rhetoric about 'throwing your vote away'- this is bullshit that the major parties feed you to keep you away from the polls. Why? They don't want competition. To become eligible for federal campaign funds a party needs about 4% of the popular vote in a general election. If they keep people believing a third-party vote is a waste of time, they'll keep being the only ones who matter.

Remember those figures about how 45% or so of the American people supported the current administration? If everyone gets out and votes their principles, those numbers will be down to 25% where they belong and our elected officials will start taking notice.

Remember- people died for this. It is NOT a right, it is an OBLIGATION.

[skymedic 0]

I voted in FL in the 2000 election and now I can honestly say that my vote does count...

just remember that the national stuff will affect you less than your local gov't elections. this is the stuff that will touch your daily life. support people that support the people that protect you!!!!

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[JPA 0]

Well said.

[FallinWoman 1]

Yeah..I can't stand people who bitch and moan about the government, but don't take the time to vote....if you don't vote, you have no right to complain!

WE have a very interesting situation in Missouri...If the Republican candidate for senator wins, he will be sworn in immediately, rather than in January with the others....that could change the make-up of the senate for the rest of the year.....should be a close race and fun to watch!

Anne

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[Michele 1]

Have always voted, will always vote. Seems like one of the few times I cana actually be "heard", you know?

As for Marc, yes, true, every vote does count.

I start jury duty on Friday, too. I don't do a thing to get out of jury duty, either. If they want me on the jury, they got me. Simple as that.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[skymedic 0]

I've been called 5 times for jury duty and sent home everytime....due to my job...I know too much....kinda nice in a way.....

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[Zenister 0]

give me a choice i can back and i will.
until then it is my experence that thoose who wish to lead are often the least qualified to do so.

i will glady vote for the first person who says they will keep the govt completely out of my life

[FallinWoman 1]

Zenister,
Whether you vote or not the government is going to be there. So why not at least be heard and vote for the lesser of two evils? That is often how it is for me. I am not crazy about either of my choices, but one is clearly worse (or less in line with my thinking) than the other.


Anne

[Zenister 0]

ive long been an advocate of the ability to vote 'no'

none of these choices are acceptable leadership. if acceptable leadership cannot be determined by this method then the system needs to be changed.

while i love this country and the freedoms i enjoy because of it, IME far to many people in it are not qualified to cook breakfast, much less make decisions regarding who should determine national policies

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[skymedic 0]

So Zenister if you are so smart...why dont you run? and make this country better? I'm am not trying to be a smart ass here or anything...I am just interested in why you think we have such a bad gov't?

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[Michele 1]

Quote

I've been called 5 times for jury duty and sent home everytime....due to my job...I know too much....kinda nice in a way....

I've been called 3 times, and served on 2 juries. Hung one, because the evidence was "almost" there, but not...exactly...enough. And then, considering the alibi the guy had was the sheriff who said he was in jail at the time, it was kinda obvious to me (there were other issues complicating things, as well). That deliberation was really, really rough, but in the end, two other jurors changed position and voted not guilty, as well. What the jury tried and did to convince me/us that he was guilty of something, even if it wasn't what he was charged with - man, it was bizarre in there. Gave me nightmares, it did.

Second one was guilty all the way around. No real question. Dude shoulda pled out, but he didn't (dunno if he was given the chance to, but he shoulda...)

I will say what a great opportunity to see first hand the "system" working, and a great opportunity to really, honestly experience something that lots of people don't do, for whatever reason. I know it changed my perspective on several things. I believe it is something which everyone should experience at least once, no matter the hardship created by it. The system works if given the chance and given an individual commitment to have it work.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[FallinWoman 1]

Quote

none of these choices are acceptable leadership. if acceptable leadership cannot be determined by this method then the system needs to be changed

Seems to me that there are only two ways to change the system....overthrow it by force (not very likely) or to elect people who can change it from the inside out.

If you are not happy with your candidates, why not run yourself or support someone you believe in?

What are you accomplishing by NOT voting?

[AndyMan 7]

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....if you don't vote, you have no right to complain!

I'm not allowed to vote. Am I allowed to complain?

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[FallinWoman 1]

Nope....

if you don't like it....go home!

(j/k....)

[skymedic 0]

actualy...in a non kidding way...if you dont like out country and want to complain you should go home...or become a citizen...it is that simple....not that I'm telling you what to do. but dont come to our country complain about it...then reap the benefits of our stronger economy and job pool....

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[Zenister 0]

mostly because i do not wish for the responsibility, or the 'politics'. I could not work inside the system, cannot work inside the system when, on occasion the solution is very obvious just not 'PC'. To often I see good ideas, great projects and endeavors shot down because of petty politics, empire building and infighting. "You cant have the money, time, resources because I don?t like him". "good idea but it doenst support my agenda", "what does it bring to my district?" etc. our current system may work but it doesnt work well or achieve much more than keeping the sheep fat, dumb and happy. (or scared and reacting in a predictable, controllable fashion, as is the case of late


truthfully i just dont care enough about people, not as a group. some individuals, my tribe (skydivers and the like mostly) i would live, kill or die for (in that order) but taken as a whole humanity is the most blind, unthinking, destructive force in the world and I just dont have much use for it

Ive long said I have a simple solution to all the worlds problems. kill off half the people
The real issue is 'which half?' thats the question I havent found the answer to yet

one law for lion and lamb is oppression -W.Blake

[AndyMan 7]

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actualy...in a non kidding way...if you dont like out country and want to complain you should go home...or become a citizen...it is that simple....not that I'm telling you what to do. but dont come to our country complain about it...then reap the benefits of our stronger economy and job pool....

That's one way of thinking about it, but by the same token the US is taking advantage of the highly skilled foreigners because their own school system is incapable of producing enough talent. The rediculous sums of money guys like me get paid even after the ".com collapse" is tribute to this need.

When I was given an invitation to live and work in the US and lend my skills to the its economy, giving up my freedom of expression was not mentioned.

If I happen to think a certain president is a bumbling moron, I will not hesitate to say so - especially because I'm denied the right to vote him out.

Foreign workers in the US are not here because of US benevolence. We're here because the US could not function without us.

Lastly, I think it was Jefferson who pointed out that patriotism was a tool of the weak. "Love it or leave it" made little sense in the 60's, and it makes little sense now.

Clearly, my dislike for elements of american culture and politics do now reflect my appreciation of the country as a whole - it's real easy for me to leave at any time I chose. If I wanted to, I would. Should this country continue down its current path of curtailing human rights, imprisoning its own citizens without trial, and arbitrarily inflicting its will in parts of the world it has no business in, it will lose a very talented individual when I do in fact leave.

For the record, I have no intention of getting US citenzenship. This is a good thing, because one of the conditions of the visa I work under is that I'm not allowed to seek one. A simple application for even a green card would result in the revocation of my work visa, and likely result in my deportation. Denying my right to even apply for citizenship WAS on the invitation.

_Am

__

You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[SpeedRacer 1]

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achieve much more than keeping the sheep fat, dumb and happy. (or scared and reacting in a predictable, controllable fashion,

for some people on this forum, fat, happy, predictable, controllable sheep could be something worth voting for!! (but I won't mention any names)

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[dbattman 0]

This is tomorrow- get out to the polls. It does matter.

Vote third party, vote for your neighbor by write in, but vote!

[fastmartin2002 0]

no right to bitch if u don't vote!

[Guest]

What if you have completely lost faith in the system? I, for example, was inside the gov't most of my life until I left five years ago. And no, I don't vote anymore. I know firsthand that it's absolutely useless. Yes, I'm bitter and I'm angry about the federal gov't

Sure, voting may change the names in Congress, but it's the mandarins of the gov't bureaucracy that will NEVER, EVER change. The bureaucracy exists to serve only itself, not us, and therefore voting is nothing but a symbolic gesture.

Any pathetically naive person who has any faith in the sad concept that the 535-headed monster in DC can be changed in the slightest through the casting of their pathetic little vote simply lacks an understanding of the situation.

Before you go out and waste your time voting, just stop for a moment and ask yourself - what has the government done for ME? Can you think of a single thing that the Feds have done FOR YOU, individually?

I'm not talking about constitutional issues like "provide for the common defense", etc. What I really want to know is what have you, tax slave, gotten for your money? I thought so! And now you want to vote for MORE OF IT? Are you grateful that the damned Feds are only sucking away 40% of your livelihood (to in turn give it to those who haven't earned it!) instead of 60 or 75%? You're not a citizen, you're a SERF. If you vote, you are just perpetuating the whole rotten artifice.

I resist where I can. I can't avoid paying taxes on pain of prison, but I sure can refuse to vote, fill out stupid census forms, etc., and encourage others to do so...

So there!

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[billvon 2,991]

>Any pathetically naive person who has any faith in the sad concepT
> that the 535-headed monster in DC can be changed in the slightest
> through the casting of their pathetic little vote simply lacks an
> understanding of the situation.

Might want to tell Al Gore that. His life (and the balance of power in the federal government) was changed pretty drastically by a few hundred votes in Florida.

>Before you go out and waste your time voting, just stop for a
> moment and ask yourself - what has the government done for ME?
> Can you think of a single thing that the Feds have done FOR YOU,
> individually?

Personally? They provide me a free ATC system that lets me both fly in airliners with pretty good safety and fly my own plane around with minimal restrictions. The ATC system personally does me a lot of good directly (and does skydivers a lot of good indirectly.) They maintain the roads I use. They provide me with water. Not too bad.

>I resist where I can. I can't avoid paying taxes on pain of prison, but
> I sure can refuse to vote, fill out stupid census forms, etc., and
> encourage others to do so...

Then by definition your voice will never be heard.

[Deuce 1]

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what has the government done for ME?

Well if you lived in my County, then yesterday you had me verify the signature on your absentee ballot and prepare it for counting tomorrow.

That's right, me and some of my staff were here on Sunday, managers, no overtime.

The votes count. Whether or not you bother is up to you. If you don't care about Federal Govt, or even State govt, vote for those city councilmembers, DA's and Sheriffs. They are tomorrow's candidates for higher office.

Or not. It's a free country.

[wmw999 2,447]

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Before you go out and waste your time voting, just stop for a moment and ask yourself - what has the government done for ME? Can you think of a single thing that the Feds have done FOR YOU, individually?

Every week, I get a paycheckI can understand losing faith. There's too much reward for maintaining one's positions, and too little for passing the torch on. Every now and then some maverick is voted in, and actually tries to change things. That's wonderful, and should be rewarded.
Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Guest]

I used to get a check. Now I'm in the private sector.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."