I Don’t Want You To Vote.. In Fact I’m Begging You Not To

You are probably thinking that with the word “citizens” in the title of this organization we would want you to vote. But me personally, Maceo. I don’t. I would prefer it if most of you just stayed at home and watched the results populate on the news tomorrow. I would prefer if you didn’t waste my time by you standing in front of me just so you can play fill in the blanks with a number 2 pencil.

The reason I don’t want YOU to vote is because you are uneducated. You don’t follow the news, you don’t know who the candidates are, you have no idea what any of the propositions are. So no matter who or what you are voting for it is going to be wrong.Our nation, our state, our city doesn’t need another person with a pitch fork chanting with the mob. We need critical thinkers, people who are going to sit with these complicated issues and address them from as many sides as they are capable.

I don’t want to live in a world where my voice is crowded out by someone who is just consuming rhetoric from political pundits. I don’t want your vote to cancel out mine, not because we are on opposite sides of the issues. If that were to be the case, and you have considered the options then I WANT that to happen. It means our democracy is at work.

The entire notion of voting is undermined if you don’t take hearty consideration of what you are supporting. It is the quintessential idea of an “informed populace” that can self govern. If you are more concerned with fantasy football or how many points Jeremy Lin scored last night than whether our schools are funded or who is representing our state in congress we can do without you.

Still, as much as I would prefer if you didn’t vote. It is still your right. It is your right to educate yourself and it is your right to remain ignorant. But your vote does mean something, there is an amount of influence, power, that you hold with it. Power in the hands of an ignorant man is a danger to all around him. So be fore you go vote slinging learn a little something.

Talk to your friends and co-workers about it, ask them who they are voting for an why if you are unsure. This is what citizenry is all about.

Here are some quick guides that help you if you are busy. They are California specific but Google can help you with other states as well.

http://calvoter.org/voter/elections/2014/general/index.html

Easy Voter Guide: Your Voice. Your Vote.

Don’t just vote. Decide.