Does it Matter?
You bet it does
When I was young, I always noted how the “older” people talked about the past. Now I understand. When you’re young you’re looking to the future and all it may bring. As a kid, the seventies are unimaginable to think about. When you’re old the future is too short to worry about, so it’s more time effective to reflect on the past.
I remember clearly when I turned eighteen how badly I wanted to vote. I received a notice where my precinct was, sometimes in someone’s garage. I had to present my driver’s license, sign a big book and write in my address. Then I marched over to a small three-sided table and colored in my selections.
I may have been wrong, but I believed at the time my vote counted and that all votes would be tallied. I felt confident and never once thought any kind of cheating could or would go on. It was America after all. We don’t do things like that.
I naively held on to that belief up until 2016.
I never have imagined all those years ago the day would come that you would never have to prove who you are, or where you live and that you can pretty much drop your ballot off wherever you feel like it. I thought signatures and ID’s were fundamental to vote.
Just the other day I hurried to drop something off and realized halfway I forgot my wallet. I panicked. What if I got pulled over? I still think that way as I’m sure most of us do. Only in this new world where nothing matters anymore, I could go into a store, steal what I want, poop outside while I’m shooting up drugs, sell drugs to kids, have no car insurance, and certainly nothing to verify who I really am. Then maybe, I would get arrested, but wouldn’t have to post bail so I would be out in hour and pick up where I left off.
On the other hand, if I check into a hotel, fly on a big airplane (unless you’re illegal), open up a bank account, see a doctor, I need proof of ID.
After the election, when we start hearing about all the shenanigans, which have already started, would your vote have mattered? We have no way of knowing if it really did. We’ve been lied to so much and so many spins have been put on just about anything, we’ll never find out the truth.
Just like when a presidential candidate is nearly assassinated, we still haven’t heard a thing from our Secret Service or anyone else. Who are they protecting, themselves?
I wish that on Wednesday morning I could feel confident with whoever wins, it was done fairly. That we can restore the faith of our greatest asset, voting.
I don’t want to be a negative nanny, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. Likely never again. It’s really a sad testament for all those eighteen-year-old kids voting for the first time.
Then again, it’s up to them to fix things. If only they can get off their phones long enough.