November 2, 2004
CONSCIENTIOUS ABSTENTION: I CHOOSE NOT TO VOTE!
 The candidates are posers. In good conscience, I can't vote for any one of them.
It's more of a civic responsibility to be kind to my fellow humans than it is to vote. I choose kindness over validating distortion.
I'll defend my choice to anyone who wants to go to the canvas on this one.
Posted by Mikal at November 2, 2004 6:04 AM
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Mikal, I think you're being a butthead. Have you forgotten that you can write in candidates? You are free to put anyone on the ballot. Although he's dead and was never a US citizen, you could write Ghandi in as your choice. Saying the both candidates suck and not participating in the republic is the wanker's way out.
If and when you start bitching about anything under the next administration, remember that you didn't act. Because you didn't act, you shouldn't bitch. You were given your chance to have a say, and you were quiet.
The last time citizens participated in quiet descension en masse, the human race experienced the German Holocuast. Being quiet is NOT the answer. So...go to the canvas, but go alone. I don't want you dragging down the rest of our countrymen as we do our part to make the system better.
Matt:
Thanks for choosing to comment, which my friend puts you in the ring, standing on the canvas (whether you want to be there or not). Unlike you, I won't make this personal. I won't be calling you any names. Rather, I will share that while I respect your opinion on this matter, I respectfully disagree.
Yes, I could choose to write someone in. Doing so for me would involve conducting research into someone who I feel I could support. I did not conduct such research, nor am obligated to. Thus, I would rather sit this one out than make an uninformed choice.
Also, on the whole matter of not being allowed to complain or voice an opinion when I see or experience something that I do not like... bull-hockey. That argument is old. Voting is a choice, it is not a responsibility. I pay taxes, which gives me every right to voice my opinion whenever I darn well want to. The day someone enforces the act of voting as the qualifying standard for allowing tax paying citizens to complain... well, all I can say about that is that 'civic responsibility' would have given way to a form of democracy that I'd have no interest in ever being a part of.
I disagree, respectfully. First let me say I agree with you on the matter of the candidates, I don't like either presidential candidate, and I believe the electoral and party systems are both totally screwy and need a total overhaul. But I'm still voting anyway. Having said that, there are candidates and issues going on at the state level that directly influence our quality of life in Indiana. I care what Senator is representing me. It's YOUR obligation to be a part of this democracy if you live here. Did you know there are three constitutional amendments on the Indiana ballot this year? By choosing not to vote at all, you've given up your power to influence issues that directly relate to how this state is run. Leave the ballot empty for the presidential and/or gubernatorial candidates if you insist, but at least step up and make your voice heard on serious things like changing our constitution.
I agree with your opinion of the candidates, but I still feel that there is one choice better than the other. I would really like to be able to start with a clean slate. Get rid of pretty much everybody in there. I think we need to put more choice in the people's hands. None of the yahoos in there are really representing us. They are representing themselves. Making a cushy retirement and future for themselves. I hold almost all politicians in low esteem. I think they need to live on the same level with the rest of us "folks" in order to truly represent us.
I am sorry that you choose not to vote, but recognize that it is your choice.
I'm sorry you've decided not to vote. I guess as an American you have the option not to exercise your right to vote. And aren't you lucky! As a woman and an American, I will not give up an opportunity to vote, regardless of who the candidates are. Like the person above said, there are other local issues that need to be voted on that could potentially effect your rights as a citizen of Indiana. Just think about all those other people out there in the world who don't have the choice about whether or not they want to, or can, vote. There is still time to change your mind. But, if not, I will still read your blog. :o)
To the anonymous poster who called me out for not voting on the proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot in the State of Indiana: I reviewed these issues while making my decision not to vote. Here they are with my rational included:
ìPUBLIC QUESTION #1: Shall Article 10, Section 1 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to allow the General Assembly to make certain property exempt from property taxes, including (1) a homeowner's primary residence; (2) personal property used to produce income; and (3) inventory?î
Since I do not own property, nor do I intend to in the State of Indiana, I made the determination that this does not concern me.
ìPUBLIC QUESTION #2: Shall Article 6, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to allow the General Assembly to establish a uniform date for the beginning of the terms of the county offices of clerk of the circuit court, auditor, recorder, treasurer, sheriff, coroner, and surveyor?î
This is a housekeeping measure which I could care less about. The impact here does not make it worth my participation, in my opinion.
ìPUBLIC QUESTION #3: Shall Article 5, Section 10 of the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to specify: (1) which state official acts as governor when the office of governor and the office of lieutenant governor are both vacant; and (2) the deadline for the General Assembly to meet when either the House or the Senate cannot assemble a quorum within forty-eight (48) hours after both offices become vacant?.î
Again, this is a housekeeping measure which has little to no impact on my life. Once again, I view this is a non-essential issue.
As to your point that it is my obligation to participate in this democracy if I live here... show me where it says that I have an obligation of any sort. It is my choice to make, not my obligation. It is my obligation to pay taxes, which I happily do, but it is not my obligation to vote. Voting is a right, not an obligation! I have chosen not to exercise my right.
Missy:
Thanks for participating in the dialogue. You wrote this ---- "Just think about all those other people out there in the world who don't have the choice about whether or not they want to, or can, vote."
Are you suggesting that one should vote simply because they have the ability to do so in a world that does not offer that right to everyone else?
I'm not saying that it should be THE reason you exercise your right to vote. It just makes me think that you can vote and choose not to while others in the world would probably like to have the choice, and don't. You can do whatever you want and defend you choice not to vote.
What about school board? Even if you don't have children, presumably you attended school and have opinions about what the locals who run the schools should and shouldn't do.
Mikal,
to me it seems as if you have not understood what democracy means. it's not a luxury, it's your duty to vote. it's not even a right, it's a privilege and if you think it's not worth you moving your lazy butt down to the voting station, then this privilege should be taken away from you. and, voting in this election is not only about choosing the man who will lead your country, but also about deciding who will lead the most powerful nation in the world. since that is true you should know that you have a tremendous responsibility and obligation to vote and i don't understand your pretentious "look i am so cool and different" attitude... if this was about getting some free tickets to some sports event i am sure you would do whatever it takes and yet behaving like a responsible adult does not seem to be a behavior which interests you...
it's not cool, it's not funny it's disappointing ....!
Chris:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. While I love the fact that we live in a society which allows for yours to be included in the discussion, I respectfully disagree with what you've stated.
First off, you state that it is my 'duty' to vote. "Duty", huh? Well, let's examine that for a moment, shall we? We shall. The dictionary tells us that "duty" means "an act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion." I am sorry Chris, but voting is not required by any citizen of the United States. Voting is, therefore, a choice and a right. In my case, I have chosen not to exercise my right to vote.
Secondly, you state that if I do not move my lazy you-know-what down to the polling station (and by the way, I am not lazy, just for the record) that the privilege to vote should be taken away from me. Well, there again, you are misinformed. I am not a felon, which would be cause for my voting privileges to be revoked, so therefore they should not be taken away from me. Again, voting is a choice, not a duty, and therein lies the defense for being as I am.
Third, you have stated that I should vote because of the 'most powerful nation in the world' thing. I have no interest in the United States being the most powerful nation on the planet, and I doubt that that moniker will even be in play for very much longer. The EU is poised to take on that role, in my opinion, and is far better suited for it, as well.
Finally, your claim that I am playing some "pretentious, look i am so cool and different" card is totally unfounded. A great deal of thought and consideration went into making this choice, and if you do not respect it, that's fine by me... but please, in doing so, don't make assumptions about who I am and what I am doing. If you want to know more, just ask. To say that I'm doing this to be "swedish" is nonsense and serves only to invalidate the basis upon which our friendship is built.
Oh, as for the 'free ticket' comment; no, I wouldn't be participating if it meant a free ticket to some sold-out show or hard to get into event. My reasons are sound, not whimsical.
Anonymous here again. I think where I find fault with this logic as a general thing is you've taken all these issues (candidates, amendments etc.) and made them all personal and all about you. You don't care about Indiana property taxes because you don't own a home, you are not voting because you personally do not approve of the candidates etc. You are within your rights as a American to have these opinions, however deciding not to vote has much larger ramifications than just on your life. For example the property tax issue - communities are in the process of being destroyed because Indiana legislators decided to raise property taxes (with no provision to re-lower or adjust them) in what they thought was a wealthy upper-class area, Meridian-Kessler/Broadripple. Now, the elderly, middle class and lower middle class are finding themselves with house tax bills 6 and 7 times what they were before, forcing them to leave a very community-oriented neighborhood and driving diversity out. Elderly citizens who had their homes paid off are moving into apartments because they cannot afford the property taxes not on large mansions but on modest, 2 and 3 bedroom older homes. I think my ultimate point is I'm sure there are millions of people including myself who share your feelings about the presidential candidates, but your choice to not vote is much larger than your corner of the world. You've chosen to put yourself on the outside of a process that at times probably seems futile to all of us, but think what would happen if millions of people decided not to vote on personal principle - that would send a message to already power-hungry and somewhat corrupt leaders that we are ok with living in a country where we let others make decisions for us. You are also letting millions of people who have not taken the time to research issues and candidates determine what goes on in your state and country. I don't like the candidates myself, and yes when I read the proposed Indiana amendments I had a passing moment of "who cares", but I voted. I voted because I try and think of this situation as much larger than myself and because I need to make an effort to combat the uninformed voters making decisions about how my state and country will be run. I also like Chris's take, it's a privilege that some people have died and would die for.
By the way, I am anonymous and my name is Mary. I chose initially to remain anon because you don't know who I am. I heard about your blog through a friend of a friend of a cousins friend thing and read it occasionally but had never posted before but was motivated today. No need to be secretive, everyone is exercising their right to reside in a democracy.
ok mikal,
our friendship has nothing to do with this.
you need to be able to listen to some criticism without patronizing me by lecturing me about the dictionary's definition of words.
and i do think your logic is flawed and i do claim that the very fact that you blog about this and that you challenge people to challenge you seems pretentious to me. we can continue discussing this privately if you are so inclined.
Mikal, I called you a butt head...only because I love you like a brother. I know that's odd coming from a former employee, but it's true.
Now, about this whole not voting thing. I really think that I'm going to wake up in the morning and you will have posted that you were just trying to rile people up. You will have some posting that you wanted to hear logical arguments and felt the deception was the truest means to get people involved. And, well...I'm actually all for that.
Really, I'm hoping that this is a hoax to get people's feathers ruffled. I think it's good for our citizens to debate the merits of voting.
As was stated by Cindra, the system is flawed. I feel that the feds should move to have all states use an electoral system similar to that of Nebraska and Maine. I also feel that the media needs to stop ignorning candidates. I feel that it is important to get alternate views in the public mind. Unfortunately, we are spoon fed the same story about the 'two' options. To me, neither is an option. To me, they are the same candidate, their views are dangerously similar. What did they really have to debate...very little.
Back to the voting thing...I really hope you were trying to dupe us into writing. It will not affect my feelings toward you, or my dealings with you. However, I feel that we have an unwritten responsibility to take part in our government. Republics that have inactive public membership die. I also feel that participation in the process is a sign of respect for your community locally, nationally and both past and present. I feel that a voting public is a strong public, a public that can act against the slow decline into tyranny. I also feel that while you have the right to complain as a tax payer and protected member of our republic; your complaints about a government that you fund, but in which you do not participate should fall on deaf ears. I have little to no respect to those that pay lip service and do not act. Action is what built this country, action is taken to maintain it. Action changes the oil in your car, complainng about the costs involved, time taken and/or numbnuts that change your oil does nothing to keep your car running. Our nation is like that car, and the voters are like the action oreinted folks that change oil to keep our car running smoothly, soundly and efficiently.
Please, tell me it was all a joke.
Mikal, I'm surprised.
> It's more of a civic responsibility to be kind to my fellow humans than it is to vote.
Well, sure, but they're not mutually exclusive. It's more of a civic responsibility to not push grandmothers into traffic than it is to not fart in crowded elevators, but most of us manage to refrain from both. You can vote and still be kind to your fellow humans.
> Since I do not own property, nor do I intend to in the State of Indiana, I made the determination that this does not concern me.
It'll concern you if it results in lower property taxes and to compensate the state has to either raise income and sales taxes (you buy stuff and earn money, right?) or cut services. Or maybe it'll concern you for the opposite reason: Higher property taxes will force companies and employees to leave your state and its economy will suffer. One way or another it should concern you -- and it will concern you, whether you're aware of it or not.
> The candidates are posers.
Perhaps. But one of the posers has sent 1,120 Americans (and counting) to their deaths in a dubious search for imaginary weapons. Oh, and killed 100,000 civilians (http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996596) in the process. And done a lot of other things to wreck our country's environment, economy and education system. None of that is enough to vote for the other poser? None of those 101,120 (and counting) is worth 20 minutes of your time?
> I have no interest in the United States being the most powerful nation on the planet.
Good. So vote for the poser who best reflects that point of view.
But you're right: Voting is a right, not an obligation or a duty, and bully for you for exercising your choice to not choose. But for me, voting is a pleasure and an important personal reminder of what a great country we live in, as imperfect and full of "distortions" as it may be.
I'm still hopeful that you actually voted and that you've just been trying to get our goat.
Mikal, I support your right to choose not to vote. I've done it myself in the past when I've felt my vote wouldn't matter - and it wouldn't have, for the record. My state's electoral votes went democratic, and that's the way I would've voted anyway. But I also find fault in your personalization of the issues, especially regarding property taxes, for the same reasons so succinctly summarized in the post above. I also feel that this whole post of your's stinks of pretention and is at least slightly just a ploy to get people commenting on your blog. But hey, good for you, it worked.
Mary: Thanks for contributing to the discussion. I understand where you're coming from when you say that you're concerned that I have personalized this, i.e., made the election--and my choice not to participate in it--into a referendum on how it impacts me and me alone. If you didn't know me, I can see how you could look at what I've chosen to do (and then how I've defended it) and reply as you have.
To know me though is to know that I care deeply about the communities in which I have lived, to the point where I have done a great deal of volunteer work related to supporting issues and causes which have no impact on me whatsoever, and which have positive and meaningful contributions across many lines which are drawn in our society. All I did was choose not to vote, not not to act.
Mary, I applaud you for voting because of the notion that some situations are much larger than yourself (in essence, in situations where you've thought not of yourself but of the needs of others), but I reject your piece on voting (in-part) because of some need to make an effort to combat what you've called "the uninformed voters" making decisions about how your state and country will be run. [Said nicely, Mary]... how do you know what is in the hearts and minds of so many other voters? That's a gross-generalization that I can not support.
Chris:
I am sorry that you felt patronized by the schooling on the word "duty" but it was your choice of words, not mine. I simply wanted to be clear about my view--and society's rules and regulations related to--voting.
Earlier, in reply to your first comment, I addressed your flat-out assertion that I was being "pretentious" by saying the following:
Finally, your claim that I am playing some "pretentious, look i am so cool and different" card is totally unfounded. A great deal of thought and consideration went into making this choice, and if you do not respect it, that's fine by me... but please, in doing so, don't make assumptions about who I am and what I am doing. If you want to know more, just ask. To say that I'm doing this to be "swedish" is nonsense and serves only to invalidate the basis upon which our friendship is built.
As for your continued thoughts in this regard (your latest reply stated that to you it "seems" that I am being pretentious by putting my view out here for all to see; yeah, so... what's your point?
The view that I shared was posted on my own personal blog, which available for all the world to see. It's not password-protected. It's no secret that it exists. The address of the site is my last name, for gosh sakes. Of course, by it's very definition, each and every post I make is done so in an attempt to attract notice.
So what! Or, said differently, so what? (My point being, being pretentious is one of many reasons why my blog exists in the first place.)
Matt:
"Knock-knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Orange!"
"Orange who?"
Oh, never mind. Sorry Matty, my Brotha-From-Anotha-Motha, it was not a joke or ploy to get the conversation started.
I appreciate that you feel that we have an unwritten responsibility to take part in our government. I've chosen, this time around, to participate differently; that's all. I am still going to be actively involved in my community. I am still going to do thing--positive things; things that aid the needy and which help causes much larger than ones I'm most intimately concerned about--which no one will ever know that I've done. I'm not much of a complainer when it comes to government... I just think it's messed up at some levels, that's all; and this time around I wasn't willing to validate the distortion.
Not voting doesn't mean that I've chosen to drop out. It just means that I didn't vote. (Inside Meaning: "Chocolate or Vanilla?)
YL: Thanks for sharing your views. Always sound; always reasonable; always the sorts of things that get me thinking.
Thanks too for sharing that you recognize that voting is a right, not an obligation or a duty, and thanks for sharing your thoughts on what a great country we live in, as imperfect and full of distortions as it is. I agree wholeheartedly.
(By the way... I knew that was you in the elevator :-)
Keep running the good race, YL (especially next week!). Much love and respect your way.
To the anonymous poster from 4:37 a.m. this morning:
To you, as well, thanks for sharing your views. It's true, for weeks now when people have asked me who I would be voting for in the Presidential election, I told them to visit my blog to find out. Even as late as 5:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, while talking with one of my authors--who already knew that I had a blog--I shared with her that my feelings on the entire matter could be found on my blog.
Some bloggers live and die (not literally, of course) by the number that shows up in the "( )" next the word "comments" on their sites. Do I like it when the number is higher rather than lower? You betcha I do. Did I post this entry to my blog just so I could attract more comments? No, I did not.
I've posted entries that are way more controversial than this one since this site went live over a year-and-a-half ago. What I did do that was different this time was that I suggested--right in the posting itself--that I was willing to comment one-for-one on this posting, which if you know me is out-of-the-ordinary because I rarely ever comment on my own blog.
Guilty as charged, but with valid context and sound reasoning, I feel.
till your daddy takes your t-bird away
I have to agree with Mikal on this one. There are two groups of people in this country who should not vote in Presidential elections:
1.) Those who are uninformed on the issues, and choose not to do their homework before heading to the polls.
2.) Those who do not believe either candidate is fit to lead our country.
Kudos to you for being strong enough to stand by your beliefs. Especially knowing the grief you would receive from the majority of your blog groupies and friends. And for those of you who have a problem with Mikal or anyone else exercising his/her right not to vote... take a flying leap, it is their choice.
As you and I have had a number of "heated" discussions...I am pretty surprised by your blog. I am commenting on this a day late as when I read your blog yesterday; I had thought it to be a joke. I must agree with Mary. I even spoke to my husband about this last night in concerns with your blog. I must admit it both shocked and upset me.
As others have mentioned....there are other matters in the election that directly impact you. Being in real estate I can attest that Public Question #1 does concern you in a way that you probably have not thought of. Since a large portion of my job is dealing with Foreclosure properties I will explain how this does affect you:
With the increase of property taxes, many neighborhoods are now shattered. People can no longer afford their property and therefore they are left to either sell or get foreclosed upon. When foreclosure happens, property values are forced down...and when communities begin selling or getting foreclosed upon...a depressed community begins. This can then generate crime, vandalizm, etc. This directly effects you in two ways 1. It can be the neighborhood next to your aparment...therefore, your own safety is then at risk 2. It can cause rent increases due to more people having to rent since they were forced out of their homes or for security measures.
Now, I am going to bring up one last point...after all this you can still say that it won't affect you, but in a related way...it will. You have several friends (me included) that own homes. Our lives are directly affected...how would you feel if one of your friends came to you one day and told you they could no longer afford their home and had to leave? Now, knowing you and your big heart...that would crush you. The voting process impacts us all in some way whether direct or indirect.
Our country was founded on voting..people fight everyday for our rights to vote...some even die. Maybe it is a choice to you....and even though my husband disagree's with me...not voting is unAmerican in my eyes...and there are plenty of other countries that may suit you better.
I was not going to post again, but I am wondering Mikal a day later with the results in and a frighteningly polarized America, how do you feel about not voting? Same, different, indifferent? Christina brings up very valid points about the tax amendment and while I am sure you are active in your community, there are still broader issues at stake here that she points out and you literally could have gone and just voted on that amendment. Another issue that I am wondering about how you and others feel in the context of not voting: The superpower control of one party in the House and Senate. You opted not to vote which meant that you did not participate in any voting at all, and specifically not for the offices other than President. The Republicans had the House and Senate majority before this election by a small margin, but now they have a monopoly on both houses basically paving the way for any of their and the Presidents' agenda items to pass with less and little resistance. I am sure you can tell I lean more to the left than the right, but I do not think it is ever good for any one party Democrats or Republicans to control an unchecked amount of both arms of the government because of the bitterly partisan nature of this whole system. Now we have that situation on our hands. I wonder if the imbalance would have grown to what it is today if all the folks that chose not to vote had? Food for thought.
Hey Michael, I knew you briefly when you lived in Boulder. And from what I could tell, you are a textbook meglomaniac with more self-esteem issues than Joan Rivers.
The reason you didn't vote, is because by not voting, you are not caught voting for a loser and therefore have carte blanche to dig either of the candidates. You are a sick man.
...And I might add, it is people like Michael who make it easy for people like me to get Bush elected!
Christina:
Thanks for sharing that information on "Public Question #1" on the ballot here in Indiana. What I didn't share before--which I'll share now--is that while doing my research on this particular initiative, it became fairly clear to me that Hoosiers would approve this amendment handily. In other words, unless every pollster was wrong, my vote was not needed on this one.
As it turns out, 71 percent of Indiana voters (last I heard) had approved the measure, despite the fact the amendment's wording will likely pave the way for the state's General Assembly to shift more of the property tax burden onto businesses, which (to follow your lead on the impact)Ö can cause businesses to close, which can cause people to lose their jobs, which can cause people to have to default on their mortgage payments, which can lead to foreclosures, which can lead to crime, which can... yada, yada, yada.
Bottom line on property tax issues... at the end of the day, someone's going to have to pay up. Whether it's the homeowner or the business owner, the state's coffers have to be filled somehow, so someone's going to have to pay... and more likely than not, pay more than they're used to paying. Because of the fact that this going to impact someone, I find youíre rationalóespecially as a homeowneróto be just as selfish as mine for not voting (yet I donít think youíre ìun-Americanî for making that choice).
As for the un-American comment, the United States of American provides meóas a tax paying citizenóto make a choice where voting is concerned. In fact, to vote, one must actually ëregisterí in order to do so. Voting is a right that we are exercise. Nowhere is it written that in order to be a U.S. Citizen, one must vote. Therefore, while it's perfectly within your right to feel that not voting is un-American, it is perfectly within mine not to vote and still as much as a U.S. citizen as you are. Like it or not, the United States of America suits me just fine.
Mary:
Great food for thought. Thanks for serving it up.
Today, the day after the elections, I feel exactly as I did before. I do not have any regrets about choosing not to vote. I thought long and hard about this. It was not a spur of the moment decision. The larger issue for me is that the foundation upon which the legislative process in this country sits is cracked, and nowhere does its faulty structure become more evident than during the months, weeks, and days leading up to the elections. Voting, in my opinion, would have been a validation of distortion and systems, which I felt I could not support this time around with my votes.
Like you, I too am concerned about the balance of power (or lack thereof). The next four years should be very interesting ones, to say the least.
To the anonymous poster from 6:45 p.m. and 6:46 p.m. this evening (11/3/04):
I think you're the same person who likes to comment anonymously in the "By The Number" postings on the site. In the past you've called yourself both "Craig in Boulder" and "Steve in Lafayette", and you've taken swipes at the Muslim people and two of my closest friends... Ford Church and Lee McDaniel.
As to the first part of your comment, my self-esteem issues are well known by most everyone who knows me. My middle name might as well as "verses", as in "Mikal verses Belicove". I am my own worst enemy, and I make no qualms about it. I've even written about my self-esteem on these very pages. So, Craig/Steve/Dave or whatever your name is, what's your point? Why did you say what you did? What does it have to do with anything related to the purpose of this particular blog posting? Right now your post looks like a sucker punch.
As to the second part of your comment----that the reason I didn't vote was because I want carte blanche to dig at either of the candidates, and that as a result I am a 'sick man' .... All I can say to that is that you're incorrect. The issue for me is the foundation upon which the legislative process in this country sits. Plain and simple for you now... I feel it's cracked (the foundation, that is), and nowhere does its faulty structure become more evident than during the months, weeks, and days leading up to the elections. Voting, in my opinion, would have been a validation of distortion and systems which I felt I could not support with my votes. As for me taking digs at either candidate... well, yeah, that's a given. I have opinions, and I'm likely to share them; but to suggest that I didn't vote so I could share an opinion on either or both parties or the candidates for each... well, that's just silly. I'd share my opinion of each regardless of whether I voted or not.
Finally, as to your follow-up comment, that people like me make it easier for people like you to get the President reelected, again...what's your point? You make it sound as if you've unearthed something that everyone didn't already know. So What!
In closing... Steve, Craig, Dave, Sybil... whatever your name is... if you have a problem with me or the things I say or do, do us all a favor... stay away. Itís not worth your time. If you choose stick around, then have enough self-esteem to provide your own name, e-mail address, and motivations. Save the sucker punches for someone else.
Just had to add my two cents to Mikal's last statement about the nut who was anonymous...my advice to you is to stay off Mikal's website...you obviously don't know him (or for the matter know how to spell his name). If you were man (or woman) enough and had self esteem yourself, you would have stated your name. Mikal has a lot of self esteem..success and most of all Balls for stating what he states on this website. A lot more than I can say for you whoever the hell you are!
Good Grief. Let's stop making this personal. It isn't nice to attack people for their opinions. This is Mikal's site. If you don't agree or like what he says, you certainly don't need to read and/or post.
That's the great thing about America.... we have the right to disagree. I too didn't vote, but not because of the reasons Mikal stated. My reasons are personal, and if you're really interested, contact me via email... lroberson@myway.com
Voting in its purest form is a competition not merely between the candidates or proposals but with the voters as well. Each voter's leverage over the outcome of an election is indirectly proportional to the number of people participating. The fewer the voters, the more each vote matters. So rather than browbeating Mikal to death on this issue, everyone should be thanking him for increasing the importance of your own vote.
Our Constitution outlines many rights we as free people are capable of enjoying but stops well short of coercion or insistence to participate. The First Amendment grants me the right to peacably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, yet I don't recall ever doing either in my lifetime. Does that make me "un-American", too? Is it my "duty" to do the things so succinctly prescribed in the Constitution?
For those of you complaining that Mikal didn't vote, if he had voted and he voted EXACTLY opposite of your vote, how would you feel about the net effect of your vote?
Other comments mentioned that Mikal should have voted for some of the measures and candidates and abstain from others. By this reasoning, it is OK to vote for 90% or 50% or 100% or 32% or 10% of the races but not 0%. Stupid logic. I abstained from about 10% of the races; district court judges, school administrators, etc because I had no idea about their backgrounds or philosophies. Does that make me 90% American, 10% UN-American? For anyone that went into the voting booth this past Tuesday and abstained from just one race or proposal aren't you being hypocritical?
So Mikal abstained from 100% of the races this year, big deal. Live and let live.
Well, I am OK with your decision not to vote Mikal. I am OK with it since I am sure you did, indeed, think about the situation and found that your individual vote on this one would not influence the outcome. I know you to be an active concerned citizen and I recall a conversation that I had with you when I was the Treasurer of the Student Government at the small 8,000 person campus of a sister campus of the then monster campus of the University of Houston at 27,000. You were running to be the President of your own Student Association and you said to me : "Roman, you should run too because in a democracy when one feels they can do a better job then the person who otherwise may win, one is obligated to run himself" I did, I won, You did you won. Dare I say, in some small way something might have been done just slightly better because of it.
I did vote in this election, as the best candidate who ran, Howard Dean, asked his supporters to vote for John Kerry for the obvious reasons. In that way, it was just a favor. There is something wrong in America. We don't usually elect our best to the Presidency. We have just elected, perhaps, our worst. However, Obama was elected to congress and I think he has a good head on his shoulders; God willing he may save the union one day.
Roman:
Thanks for your comments. One point of clarification though. You wrote, "Well, I am OK with your decision not to vote Mikal. I am OK with it since I am sure you did, indeed, think about the situation and found that your individual vote on this one would not influence the outcome."
Roman, while my belief about the impact--or the lack thereof--of my vaote on the outcome certainly played a role into my decision, the larger issue for me was that by participating in the process I would have cast a vote in favor of a system that I believe is so fundamentally flawed that I could not support it this time around.
I agree with you, Roman. There is something wrong in the United States of America. Despite that fact, I still believe that the USA is the best place for me to reside. Not everything's perfect in this 'democracy' of ours, but for now it still seems to work, even for me.
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