Friday, September 12, 2008

Operation Wake Up Call

I don't want to say I'm panicking about the election--yet--but I will say that the thought of another four years of the Bush nightmare scares the proverbial pants off. And I am seriously unnerved by the thought of another election "won" by the Republican Party because a sizable portion of the US population decides to stay home on election day and then spends the next four years bitching about the results.

While I'd like to say I don't have a bias, left or right, that would make me as big a liar as . . . well, never mind that for now. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, there is no excuse for not voting. If you can't physically make it to the polls, you can vote absentee. Don't want to miss work? Go early; go late. Have kids? Take them; it's a great lesson. Can't be bothered to wait for 20 minutes, or even an hour? Eff that. People have waited for years. It's your right; it is a privilege; it is your duty. And now it has become an imperative.

Announcing Operation Wake Up Call.
On November 4, 2008, I'm asking you to get up early. Call your family members. Call your friends and neighbors. Call your co-workers, your teachers, your students, your dry cleaner. Tweet them. Email them. Whoever you think might need a little nudge to get to the polls. A gentle reminder will do: No preaching. No pushing last minute arguments for a particular candidate. Just remind them to make the time to vote.

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2004 64% of the US population eligible to vote did so. This was up from 60% in 2000. Good, but we can do better.

7 comments:

Kathy Schrenk said...

You actually can vote absentee for any reason -- "because I feel like it" is perfectly acceptable. I am permanently registered to vote absentee, so I get a ballot in the mail for every election.

Donna said...

I'm in

Melanie K said...

@kathy schrenk: I'm registered as a perm. absentee voter, too. But the vast majority of voters are not (yet), and I actually like the idea of everyone going to the polls on the same day with the same goal of participating in govt. So sometimes I'll actually fill out my absentee ballot and just walk it over. but then i'm an admitted dork :-D

uncle wally said...

I've taken the kids voting before. They like the free stickers (or used to), and they like to pull the levers. I make sure they pull the right levers, of course.

oh, you do know the site - http://www.crooksandliars.com/, right? might be up your alley.

Melanie K said...

@uncle wally: If we still had levers at the voting booths here, I'd make sure my kids pulled the left ones. oops, is my bias showing again? Actually that's not entirely true as I prefer to see what a candidate is saying before I make up my mind. This year it's kinda easy.

uncle wally said...

i was just guessing. it is a pretty good site though.

Melanie K said...

no, no! I like crooks and liars, too. I meant to add that part in the earlier comment