Just say no to voting. . . unless you do it properly

On November 6, 2012, if you are an American citizen, over the age of 18, and registered to vote, you may do so. You will see a lot of people telling you to exercise your civic duty over the next twenty-four hours or so. I know I will be exercising mine. I vote. I have voted since the first election in which I was old enough to vote. I love it. I am a bit of a political junkie, and because of that I feel very strongly about voting.

You need to take this right and duty seriously. You need to be informed. You need to understand for whom and for what you are voting. Why would you vote otherwise? If you honestly believe our sitting president is a Muslim (not that it should matter anyway), and that he is secretly trying to implement Sharia law, you need to step away from the voting booth. Conversely, if you believe that Mitt Romney thinks his undergarments are magic and that he will use the power therein to bewitch us all, please take a look at the real issues.  I may not agree with you, your opinion, or your reasoning, but if you are voting on facts and choose differently than I would, that is just part of the process.

If you are choosing based on rumors and lies, you need to stay home tomorrow because this is a responsibility for which you are not ready. That’s right. I said it. If you cannot be informed and responsible with your choice, don’t vote. Everyone tells people to vote, and I am here to say that if you are a birther, believe your federal taxes have gone up in the last four years, have anything to say about death panels other than to laugh at them, or you like to pretend that homosexuals and feminists cause hurricanes all the while denying that climate change exists, you need to ask yourself some serious questions and examine your sources before you vote. Don’t vote if you can’t articulate your candidate’s positions. Don’t vote unless you have a clear understanding of the responsibility which you are undertaking.  

Now, that we have that out of the way, please do vote if you are ready, willing, and able to be an adult about it. Go to the polls armed with the facts and your convictions, and vote accordingly. Be courteous, kind, and respectful, and wear your vote with pride. I know that I will be enthusiastically voting for President Obama and Senator McCaskill to retain their positions for another term each. I would love it if you would join me in supporting them, and would be happy to tell anyone why, but if you won’t or can’t (for instance, you have to live in MO to vote for Senator McCaskill), please make sure that you are voting based on real issues and facts.

If you want to be extra prepared, Missouri voters can find sample ballots here: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/voterlookup/default.aspx

Others can find their own sample ballots by doing a quick internet search.

Peace.