August 29, 2004
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The roar was so loud. I walked out of the subway at 14th st and 7th ave. This wasn’t a rally, it was an endless parade of bush haters. i was more there for the sites, than anything, but i got a bit of a buzz being there, i’ll admit. sure, the practical effects of the march might be absolutely nothing, but, for those there, it did provide home, it provided a sense of community. you could literally feel how our country is divided. if your ideas and political views differ, you’re not welcome. that was the message. and, being a bush-hater myself, it was nice to be on their side. we’re rooting for our guy to win, although we know the electoral system of voting has rigged the election to ensure that our president is not decided by the majority, and that every vote does not count (Being a New Yorker, I don’t plan on voting, since the state is going to Kerry regardless. last time i voted for nader just to give him support, but, like most americans, i can’t even be bothered).
Also…i’m printing my book tom., and if i like what i see when it arrives probably on Thur., then i’m done!
Also, spoke w/ this girl morgan i met while traveling in s. africa, she lives in vancouver, a place i’m hoping to visit on my road trip, and she told me about a possibly bike trip this spring from canada to Brazil! That, my friends, would be the ultimate experience of my life thus far.
-dan
Comments (5)
Vote damnit. There are other offices up for grabs. You just need to be part of the process. I don’t care if it’s State Assemblyman in a totally Democratic district. Either give him/her your vote if you agree with their policies (especially on education) or vote for someone else if not.
It is just absolutely important that everyone start voting, and vote every time. If you don’t do that, why would any politician ever listen to a word you say?
ditto!
voting is just about president – our country is so fucked up – we have no idea how lucky we are to have such rights, and yet we all just throw them away.
ahem – that should say, “isn’t”
I disagree with these folks entirely. Don’t vote.
As for the comment by thenarrator, I strongly disagree that not voting means a politician shouldn’t listen to you. First of all, a politician isn’t going to check your voting record. Second of all, the average person isn’t looking to actually speak with a politician, and if you actually do, there’s still little expectation that what you have to say will translate into anything. And finally, as the comedian George Carlin said, “I think we’ve got it all backwards. If you vote and your guy loses, you have no say at all. But me, I didn’t vote, so whoever wins, I’ll curse the hell out of them because I never voted for them in the first place.
We put so much focus on voting being the ultimate form of democracy, and by not doing it, we’re committing the ultimate sin. Democracy is the freedom to vote, and not to vote. I choose not to vote. There are other issues besides politics, especially because there are no politicians I know of, except Nader, who are actually willing to stand on a platform that means something.
And…what got me most about yesturday’s rally, is that Kerry supported the war, and I haven’t heard any politician saying we should pull all our troops home and just say, “sorry, bush made a mistake”