I've been hearing too much from my peers about the upcoming presidential election lately. I'm getting a million questions from people, ranging from "What party are you?" to "Why aren't you voting?" I'm getting pressure from my closest friends to vote for this candidate or that candidate because "So-and-so will fix America's problems." And I'm getting a lot of hate from people who pretend to be my friends because I have chosen not to vote in this election, and they refuse to listen to why I have made this choice.
As an American citizen, it is both my right and my duty to make an informed and well thought-out decision and vote in the elections for whomever I feel is best for whatever position they are running for. However, I live under a rock that I am only just beginning to crawl out from, I do not watch the news, and I have little or no clue what the issues are or how well the government may or may not be doing. I am making an effort to change this, but it is coming in small steps. There is only so much I can take when it comes to politics; I need to work my way up to being informed. I will not be informed enough come November to make a good decision on who to vote for. This is a fact, and the biggest reason that I have chosen to withhold my vote this year. I plan on voting in the next presidential election. By then, I will be better prepared and feel personally more ready to make a good decision.
This is my personal decision. I will not be swayed by peers constantly demanding I vote for the candidate they support. I will not follow in my parents' foosteps and vote Republican because "We're Republican." In fact, I am not a Republican. Neither am I a Democrat, nor am I registered as independent or third party. When I filled out my voter registration card, I checked off the box next to "Unaffiliated." I never really understood much in politics, and the political parties still seem to me somewhat pointless. They're just another division between people, and I do not feel we need that. I feel that by remaining unaffiliated with any political party, I am declaring to the world that I will make my own decisions. I will form my own opinions, and my vote, when I feel ready to cast it, will go to whichever candidate I feel is best suited for the position, regardless of party affiliation.
Honestly, people need to lighten up. I am not being just another lazy teen who doesn't care. That's not why I am not going to vote. I have my reasons, I've given it some thought, and I know that I am not ready for the responsibility of voting. It doesn't matter that I will be eighteen come election day. I am slow to progress, but at least I'm trying. I'm making an effort to become informed, to make my own choices, and to not let my peers or loyalty to a political party sway me one way or another. And hardest of all for me personally, I am making an effort to form my own opinion about something I have difficulty understanding.
So people, don't chew me out for not voting. I think I know what I'm doing.
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The only thing I have to say in regards to your choice is don't let it become a habit of not voting. Don't wait until this time next elections to start researching. As long as you don't do that, I have no real reason to say anything else except to applaud you for your decision to not vote at all rather than making an uninformed vote.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
I don't plan on making it a habit to not vote. I'm already starting to make myself watch the news and pay attention to what's going on more. Slowly but surely, I'm coming out from under my rock. ^-^ And I'll be sure to pay attention to the next round of campaigning. I do want to make an informed decision when I do vote, you know?
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Oh, indeed. I know I've always been a big procrastinator..."oh, I'll get to that tomorrow..." all the way until "oh crap, tomorrow's election day!" (well, not until election day, this will be my first Presidential one, but you get the idea).
Also, be wary of the TV news channels, they tend to favor the two big parties and typically have their favorites within the parties (and typically lean to one party or the other, as well). Internet sources are always good, and remember to take anything that anyone says bad about any of the candidates with a grain of salt. Presidential elections are like willful public executions of one's reputation.
Also, a good place to start is the list of candidates (this one happens to be this year's, but it gives you an idea) at Project Vote Smart. And check out the Political Courage Test, which will show you the major issues for this year's elections as well as the candidate's responses (if they answered it).
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge
Thanks so much for all the advice! I'll definitely keep it in mind as I inch my way out into the world.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
What do you consider "informed"?
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
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Honestly, I haven't watched the news in nearly a year now. I don't know what's going on with anything outside of my community. That needs to change. So to me, being informed is keeping up to date on things...what things I have yet to figure out, as I've been under a rock all these years...and getting an unbiased look at where each candidate stands on the issues at hand, etcetera. I'm sure I'll get a better idea of what exactly I mean by "informed" once I start getting informed.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
I guess I just don't understand how, after spending the next 4 months researching, you'll still be utterly uninformed.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
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I respect your right to decide not to vote.
However, I don't understand either why you couldn't do your research and make an informed decision. How much research would satisfy you so that you would feel you were making the right decision?
I go off of my gut a lot when I vote. I care more about the impression he or she gives me. Voting records and bills are important, but I care most about character.
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
It's more than just researching...I need to understand how things work, and frankly, I don't. And I ned time to figure out where I stand on issues before I dive in to seeing where the candidates stand, so I don't fall into my old habit of adopting the opinions of others as my own. It's hard to explain how difficult this really is for me. Imagine spending your entire life in a dark cave, and one day, you find yourself in the outside world. You would need time to feel comfortable and confident in the world again. That's sort of how I am with delving into the world of politics. I have a basic understanding of how our government works, but I don't really understand it. And I haven't been exposed to a lot of the problmes facing the US or the world in general. So I need to get out there and build an understanding while I'm becoming informed. It's a process of learning that I have to go through.
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I feel like a really weird person now...
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Do what you need to be informed at least by the next presidential. That could be a good goal for you.
Just one more question... Are you wanting to do all this research on your own, sort of charting your own path, or are you wanting to ask others about their experiences so that you can be informed? Or both?
www.progressiveu.org/blog/americangirlinchina
That is my goal. And I feel it is a very reasonable one. Especially since I'm going to be spending the next four years at a college to teach me how to think...I'll have opinions and everything by the next presidential election!!!
And I'm probably gonna do a little of both. Maybe more of the independent research, because that's just easier for me, but I'd like to be able to ask others about their experiences.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Any more it seems like voting is nothing more than choosing the lesser of two evils.
Great blog! Very well written and well thought out.
I will be running fo president next election and you need to vote for me! My biggest plans are to wall off all caves and ensure that no body and i mean NOBODY is left stuck under any rocks or blind folded or have bags on their heads. I will do all this with out raising any taxes or dropping any bombs. I will ensure wolrd peace by grinding all rocks accused of capturing potential voters into beach sand for all to enjoy.
I am sorry to cracking jokes but I feel entitle since I am pretty much the same way with this info. I wish I had your sense for my first voting experience...I ended up voting what my boyfriend at the time 'told' me to.
I was going to post links to a list of 'issues' that are important for now and everyone's stance and blah blah blah that had helped me, but I have them saved to another computer. Sorry
Respecting your informed choice, politics will never be understood before it changes;)
Happy hunting and good luck
~T
all truths are easy to understand once discovered; the point is to discover them ~galileo
My friends and I joke about what we'd do if we were president. One friend would bomb everyone in the world who so much as looked at her the wrong way, and another would bring world peace through laziness and procrastination. xD
They told me if I was president, cuteness would be mandatory for all pets, and there would be a national bubble day, hehe.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
Thank you.
Thank you for not going into the polls blind, averting your eyes and randomly pressing a button or pulling a lever.
Thank you for not following your parents like a blind, lost puppy.
Thank you for not being like so many registered voters in Hardin County.
I apologize if I offended you with this.
Nope. No signature for you. XP
I felt like you. I wasn't going to vote either. I only just changed my mind two days ago and filled out my voter's registration form. Yet, I still dont' know who I'm voting for. Is it really best I vote then? I'm gunna do my best to make an informed decision.