on the incessant joys and obligations of participartory democracy

i believe the onion said it best 4 years ago: "a participatory democracy is like the lottery - you can't win if you don't play". they said funny things before this, too. i don't remember those things.

and yet...

i don't get why people don't vote . i jsut don't. man, i was so stoked when i turned 18 because it meant i could both buy cigarettes and vote. two things that i had been wanting to do since forever. and then there's complaints from said people - who, although they didn't exercise their rights still have an opinion. and it's great to be informed and feel a certain way about things, but seriously, if you're not going to vote i don't give a shit what you think about the elected representatives in this nation. because you apparently also didn't give a shit enough to voice your opinion in a platform where (in theory) it counts.

let me put it this way, i am an avid if jaded voter. my first election was 2000 (and we all know how awesome that one turned out). then 2002 saw sonny damn perdue get elected governor of georgia. then 2004, when it felt like the whole country was ready for regime change at home, jack shit happened. my luck with voting has been shaky, at best. but i do it. gladly. everytime. because i can. and because i appreciate that. even if it's a shady vote-counting/electoral process, and even if i don't think america really needs an electoral college anymore, i vote. i make my voice heard.

which...is kind of the point of a true democracy...

anypoo.

vote.

and i hope you vote for obama, but, i'm really just gonna be happy if you vote.