Post by adefonzo on Nov 4, 2008 7:04:24 GMT -5
This is where I get on my soapbox...
Well...the day has finally arrived. We have spent the last 18 months to 2 years arguing, debating, bickering, discussing, belittling and praising...and it all comes down to today.
Believe it or not, in the end, I don't really care who anyone votes for, but rather I care about the idea that you make an informed decision...one based on truly looking into the different candidates who are trying to represent you, scrutinizing and questioning their every platform, decision, policy, and promise, then deciding who is truly the best representation of what you believe this town, this state, this country should be.
Remember...about 95% of the people who will have their names on the ballots today throughout this country are politicians, which means they have an uncanny ability to say a lot, but do a lot less. That's why I believe it's important for all of us, as citizens of this town, state, and country, to make our decisions based on what we believe these politicians will do for us, not what the politicians say they will do...not what the media says...not what Hollywood actors and actresses say...what we truly believe these people will do for us, as individuals, and as a community.
Voting is a right...but I believe it's also a privilege. A privilege born of the sacrifice of countless men and women over the 200+ years that this country has been in existence. Men and women who fought in the military, who stood up and fought for equal rights, who fought for those who had no voice, who continue to fight today for what is good and what is right. Because of all the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of all of those people who came before me, I take my right...my privilege to vote very seriously. I don't believe in simply voting for someone just so I can say I voted. I believe in doing all that I can to become as well informed as possible about all candidates running for a position that I plan on voting for...and then making a decision based on what I have learned and what I believe.
To do it any other way, in my opinion, would be disrespectful of all those that have made it possible for me to cast my vote...and I would hope that others feel the same as I do.
For better or worse, I am a big fan of movies...and as such, I have a couple of quotes from a rather appropriate movie, The American President (with Michael Douglas) that I like to think of from time to time...
"People want leadership. And in the absence of genuine leadership, they will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."
This quote, I think, is very relative to this years election. It's no secret who I am supporting, and while those who don't agree with my decision may think otherwise, I truly feel as though many people are making their decision based on the fact that they feel inspired by someone who has won them over with eloquent speeches and lofty promises of a better world. These people are so hungry for those ideas that they will drink the sand.
Folks...we're better than that. We're smarter than that. Despite the best efforts of many, the "dumbing down of Americans" has not reached everyone yet...and there's still hope that we can prove it.
Let me say again...I really don't care who you choose to vote for...it's a private decision. I care about the fact that you make an informed, intelligent, passionate decision based on you having done some homework to find out why you support someone. If you can tell me you support someone and list out all the reasons why you think they will be the right person for the job (and please, don't just give me their campaign's sound bites), then I will respect your decision, whether I agree with it or not...and I think that's something we all need to do. We're never going to agree on everything...but we should all be able to agree to disagree and strive to find the middle ground. Everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard, and we have every right to agree or disagree with them, and they(or we) should be willing to listen to those who disagree with us.
One last quote from that movie...
"Everybody knows American isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free."
We all have the right...we all have the priviledge...let's not lose site of that.
Well...the day has finally arrived. We have spent the last 18 months to 2 years arguing, debating, bickering, discussing, belittling and praising...and it all comes down to today.
Believe it or not, in the end, I don't really care who anyone votes for, but rather I care about the idea that you make an informed decision...one based on truly looking into the different candidates who are trying to represent you, scrutinizing and questioning their every platform, decision, policy, and promise, then deciding who is truly the best representation of what you believe this town, this state, this country should be.
Remember...about 95% of the people who will have their names on the ballots today throughout this country are politicians, which means they have an uncanny ability to say a lot, but do a lot less. That's why I believe it's important for all of us, as citizens of this town, state, and country, to make our decisions based on what we believe these politicians will do for us, not what the politicians say they will do...not what the media says...not what Hollywood actors and actresses say...what we truly believe these people will do for us, as individuals, and as a community.
Voting is a right...but I believe it's also a privilege. A privilege born of the sacrifice of countless men and women over the 200+ years that this country has been in existence. Men and women who fought in the military, who stood up and fought for equal rights, who fought for those who had no voice, who continue to fight today for what is good and what is right. Because of all the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice of all of those people who came before me, I take my right...my privilege to vote very seriously. I don't believe in simply voting for someone just so I can say I voted. I believe in doing all that I can to become as well informed as possible about all candidates running for a position that I plan on voting for...and then making a decision based on what I have learned and what I believe.
To do it any other way, in my opinion, would be disrespectful of all those that have made it possible for me to cast my vote...and I would hope that others feel the same as I do.
For better or worse, I am a big fan of movies...and as such, I have a couple of quotes from a rather appropriate movie, The American President (with Michael Douglas) that I like to think of from time to time...
"People want leadership. And in the absence of genuine leadership, they will listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone. They want leadership, Mr. President. They're so thirsty for it, they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."
This quote, I think, is very relative to this years election. It's no secret who I am supporting, and while those who don't agree with my decision may think otherwise, I truly feel as though many people are making their decision based on the fact that they feel inspired by someone who has won them over with eloquent speeches and lofty promises of a better world. These people are so hungry for those ideas that they will drink the sand.
Folks...we're better than that. We're smarter than that. Despite the best efforts of many, the "dumbing down of Americans" has not reached everyone yet...and there's still hope that we can prove it.
Let me say again...I really don't care who you choose to vote for...it's a private decision. I care about the fact that you make an informed, intelligent, passionate decision based on you having done some homework to find out why you support someone. If you can tell me you support someone and list out all the reasons why you think they will be the right person for the job (and please, don't just give me their campaign's sound bites), then I will respect your decision, whether I agree with it or not...and I think that's something we all need to do. We're never going to agree on everything...but we should all be able to agree to disagree and strive to find the middle ground. Everyone has a voice that deserves to be heard, and we have every right to agree or disagree with them, and they(or we) should be willing to listen to those who disagree with us.
One last quote from that movie...
"Everybody knows American isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating, at the top of his lungs, that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free, then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest." Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free."
We all have the right...we all have the priviledge...let's not lose site of that.
