A certain Isis from Chi-Town sent this bitch an e-mail asking my advice on how to motivate the black women in her family to vote.
Cough…sip yummified iced green tea…continue…
You got it, sistah…but this shit applies to everyone as far as this bitch is concerned.
Every election is a job interview between the masses and the candidates. Oh, I know that’s easy to forget when the media is focused on clothing choices and fundraising goals rather than an individual’s qualifications…but when you step into that voting booth it’s just you and the choices and the fluff be damned.
I teach a Voter Education class and each session my students ask me why the hell they should give a shit about politics in general and elections in particular and I usually reply…
Do you eat food? Because your government’s policies and the agencies that enforce them impact everything that goes into your mouth. Tired of the recalls and worrying whether that salad you had for lunch is going to land your broke ass in the hospital? Well, the detection of food-based rancidity depends on screening and screening depends on staffing and staffing depends on funding and funding depends on the priorities of the head motherfuckers in charge.
Blink.
Do you use electricity…water…the toilet? Do you drive a car, have car insurance or home insurance…do you have a credit card or a savings account?
Do you have children or grandchildren…are you planning to have children, adopt them or not have kids at all…do you want to marry but can’t or do you want to divorce and just can’t afford to…do you pay taxes for a shitty school system or pay too many taxes for a fantabulous one?
Do you have children of draftable age…blink but don't sleep...or do you have people in your life who actively serve in the military…or do you have anyone in your life who plans to?
Do you want to make medical decisions with your doctor or the Supreme Court?
Do you want to be proud of your country or pray for forgiveness?
Do you want to have a voice or do you want to be spoken for?
Sigh.
Politics is local, but government is personal as hell.
So why care…why volunteer…why vote…why make each and every candidate achieve our vote before they receive it?
Look around you and behold all those things you hold dear and all the shit you can’t fucking stand.
Cough…sip yummified iced green tea…continue…
You got it, sistah…but this shit applies to everyone as far as this bitch is concerned.
Every election is a job interview between the masses and the candidates. Oh, I know that’s easy to forget when the media is focused on clothing choices and fundraising goals rather than an individual’s qualifications…but when you step into that voting booth it’s just you and the choices and the fluff be damned.
I teach a Voter Education class and each session my students ask me why the hell they should give a shit about politics in general and elections in particular and I usually reply…
Do you eat food? Because your government’s policies and the agencies that enforce them impact everything that goes into your mouth. Tired of the recalls and worrying whether that salad you had for lunch is going to land your broke ass in the hospital? Well, the detection of food-based rancidity depends on screening and screening depends on staffing and staffing depends on funding and funding depends on the priorities of the head motherfuckers in charge.
Blink.
Do you use electricity…water…the toilet? Do you drive a car, have car insurance or home insurance…do you have a credit card or a savings account?
Do you have children or grandchildren…are you planning to have children, adopt them or not have kids at all…do you want to marry but can’t or do you want to divorce and just can’t afford to…do you pay taxes for a shitty school system or pay too many taxes for a fantabulous one?
Do you have children of draftable age…blink but don't sleep...or do you have people in your life who actively serve in the military…or do you have anyone in your life who plans to?
Do you want to make medical decisions with your doctor or the Supreme Court?
Do you want to be proud of your country or pray for forgiveness?
Do you want to have a voice or do you want to be spoken for?
Sigh.
Politics is local, but government is personal as hell.
So why care…why volunteer…why vote…why make each and every candidate achieve our vote before they receive it?
Look around you and behold all those things you hold dear and all the shit you can’t fucking stand.
Mmmhmm, we get the government we deserve.
But oh, to speak.
Oh yes, to vote (wink)….
But oh, to speak.
Oh yes, to vote (wink)….
15 comments:
Ok, a white girl just turned me (another angry black bitch) onto your blog.
The only question I have is will you marry me?
Excellent answer! Really. If more people paid attention to the shit going on there would be less shit going on.
You are 100% correct.
It never ceases to amaze me how much politics affect our lives, and how little we were taught about that in school. And I went to school a while back, when we were given much better history and civics classes. But it wasn't really brought to us that it was very personal and would define our boundaries.
Mkali...thank you for visiting and the proposal (wink)!
Lazy Iguana...if only we knew the key to motivation. Sigh.
Maya's Gran...I think they no longer teach it on purpose to produce this exact outcome.
I love you.
It still amazes me on how many people I know that still don't vote and when shit doesn't go there way at the end of election day, they're pissed. I vote and I speak...LOUDLY! Peolpe need to realize, being a taxpayer just isn't enough to be able to have the right to bitch about the people in office, you need to be a participant.
This was the best post! I'm going to print this and hand it out to the masses! I'm so sick of those who refuse to get involved or find themselves too busy to participate. Really good post.
I know how to motivate the masses into not being asses.
One time when I voted the staff was handing out comment cards after you were done. The County elections department was behind it.
One of the questions was "what would make your voting experience better in the future". I was going to put down "someone running for office who is NOT an asshole" but then I hit on a better comment.
FREE BEER. Really. Free beer. Think about it. Vote and get a free beer. Vote twice (I do live in Florida) and you get two free beers.
Think of what the turnout would be if there was free beer involved.
Of course, I am not sure if this would help or hurt.
My suggestion was ignored. I have voted a few times since then and still no free beer. Next time I will put down "someone to vote for who is not a total asshole".
That is why I cannot be a Jehovah Witness. I must vote. People died for me to have the right to vote. The least I can do is get my black azz up and vote.
Even if I do not support the entire platform of the candidate, I vote for the lesser of two evils.
Oh, to be half as wise as you are Shark-Fu!
Great post, thank you for this. It applies to everyone that won't get off their butts to vote.
If people are alienated by the major party candidates, they should vote for third party candidates. The vote won't effect the outcome of that specific election, but it will send a message of how the two major parties need to change to get your vote in the future.
I couldn't agree with you more. Thanks for this excellent post. I am going to give it to as many people as I know.
I vote. Every election. Why?
Because I cherish my right to bitch, and if I don't vote, I don't have the right to bitch.
Last election, I wanted to cry. We walked in, signed the book, and walked straight into the voting booths. No one in line in front of us, no one in line behind us. WTF is wrong with people?
ABB, you said it all. Thank you.
I linked this on my blog, (And stole the doggy picture, too!) I think it's absolutely brilliant, and brings it on a level anybody can understand!
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