A vote in the trash is a vote for you!

The other day my loving, and very well-meaning friend, Andrew Orvedahl, chose to write a blog about why he votes and why he believes all conscientious non-voters should do so as well.  When posting the well-written piece to his Facebook profile, he chose to tag me on it, exposing to all 3400 of my followers that I in fact have decided to abstain from participating in this year's election.  A decision that I admittedly wasn't too thrilled about. 

Not because Andrew wasn't respectful of me or my intellect, but because I have a huge fear of being viewed as someone who is irrational and quixotic; or just plain ignorant for that matter.  And to some, I am.  I did very poorly in school.  My sentence structure and grammar leaves a lot to be desired.  I'm much better at conveying my thoughts through spoken word and I've chosen stand-up comedy and music as a path for that reason.  But I do want to respond to Andrew's blog and offer up my reasoning for those that were wondering. 

By the way, if you haven't read it please do so here: http://www.fiveunicorns.com/2012/10/25/a-note-to-my-progressive-non-voting-pals-in-colorado/

Some of you won't agree with this, and I totally accept and respect that.  I'm in no way telling any of you not to vote.  I respect your opinions and individuality.  But I wanted to stand my ground and speak my peace, even at the risk of being viewed as idealistic or childish.  I wanted to write this because I will not be an anonymous comment.  I'll defend my views.

First off, let me say this, some of the points Andrew made about Obama and his record in office are meant to address points that I had tried to make in a heated debate.  And, as I often do when debating, I get more wrapped up in winning than being honest.  

Let me be clear on this; four years ago I did vote for this man.  I, like a lot of people, was moved by his conviction and overwhelming message of hope and change.  If you know me, you'd know this is all I work towards in both my personal and professional life.  An evolution of myself, however slow that may be.  But over the past four years, I didn't see those ideals carried out.  I saw more of the same carried out in the normal lazy-susan style of politics we've grown accustomed to.  Every candidate is starting to look more and more alike.  I don't believe this is due to some phantom government machine that feeds off the goodwill of the populace in an effort to maintain control.  And this is in no way an indictment of the president as a person.  I believe that he wanted what he said.  He wanted to be a leader.  He wanted to exact some change.  How can you look around and not?  So, no, this is not a criticism or questioning of his integrity?  This is an indictment of the current state of politics and us, the people.  When I look back at Obama's time, I see a person that played the political game as the others have, all in an attempt to get re-elected.  The fact is, I don't find anyone on the ballot capable of making the initial decisions and steps to lead us to the place we need to be.  And to be fair, I'm not that person either.  Quite honestly, I don't think he exists.  Scientifically and historically, we're not meant to be lead.  Our most successful societies and civilizations were those that relied on each other.  So I ask you, why bother?

I understand Andrew's point about the civil rights issue.  But I guess I just feel like those are things that will change inevitably.  I don't think the gay, lesbian, and transgender community will see equality because of the actions of one man.  That to me is insulting and degrading to all those brave people who stood in the streets every year and marched, for years, weathering the mocking and jeering of the lessening majority.  Civil rights have always come at the hand of a strong and organized minority, willing to stand steadfast and fight until the slower majority comes around.  Mitt may pass a law, but there are hundreds and thousands of individuals like Andrew and myself who will stand beside our friends and family members in the streets and ensure that everyone around us learns that each individual you're trying to hold down has a story.  One that is imperfect and real and relatable.  I believe that on a long enough timeline, enough will let their guard down.  We put our fists up at first because we're afraid, but the more and more we see something, and see what we thought we were afraid of in those closest to us, the more we start to relax and understand that we need only concern ourselves with issues of real and imminent personal safety.  Equality starts with a small group who refuse to be silenced, and then the larger group that follows suit, and those who'll finally stop listening to their fears of being stigmatized and start listening to the inner urge to protect those who we share stories with.  One guy won't fucking change that.  I believe more than ever in the positive potential of the human being.

I thought of this recently and I've posted it a thousand times.  I'll say it again: Do not mistake natural reactions to unnatural circumstances as being what is inherently in our nature.  

And politics have become the best example of this.  I will no longer take part in the divisive locomotive that is our current political system.  The more and more I watch, the more and more disillusioned I become by the fact that our system has become solely based on fear.  It's all numbers.   And numbers start with the best intentions for categorizing, but then eventually become a tool for dehumanizing each of us that makes up one point.  Case in point: I grew to hate the south because of politics.  I hated that other 50 or 51%.  They're all stupid and racist.  Until I started traveling more and met terrific and shitty people everywhere.  Including the south.  I met smart people.  Hard working people.  Not that different than myself.  People who sat through my show.  Who laughed.  Who fed me.  And who sure as shit would not have done so if we'd talked about the fucking president.  

People aren't bad, we're just reacting poorly to unnatural circumstances.  

Our country is more polarized than ever, but yet we continue to create and purchase more and more devices and gadgets to connect us to each other and those around the world.  We're obviously craving something.  Something tangible.  Something primal and meaningful.  So we vote for the things we hope will improve our lives and fill the void.  Ignorant of the fact that the very thing we're doing to try and fix us, is making it worse.  We're like addicts.

So I don't vote.  I believe that sometimes the only way to stop something that's out of control is to take our hands off the wheel, understand we're helpless now, and let it crash.  Then we sort out the damage, let it sting, learn, and recreate.  

But others will continue.  And the government doesn't need your vote, Ben.

  

I think it's a common myth that they don't care if you abstain from voting.  The way I see it, those employed in government need your votes.  On two levels: 1.  Participation. This system doesn't work without it maintaining a certain level.  I think some people toil under the delusion that American politics would continue if only six people were in line.  It needs your votes, and a lot of them, because the government is us, and if most of US aren't voting, well then, that's a symptom of a greater problem needing attention.  It's the reason there are more and more articles about why the voting pool is shrinking and why the youth are so disillusioned.  2. Profitability.  The federal government spent over $100 million dollars this year on non-partisan voter initiatives.  Not to mention the combined billions that are being spent by either candidate, outside organizations, and super pacs.  Why would they spend that much on voting if they didn't need it?  That kind of money doesn't float around if money is not being returned ten fold to it's investors.  People are making more and more money off television, book deals, and the general business of politics because your vote is money.  Because in essence, it is an approval of that person you selected, the concessions they will make, and the favors they will return.

Make no mistake, this is a business, and a gigantic one at that; and it's product is votes.  And I will not continue contributing to it.  For the same reason that if I'm thirsty I will not continue to give money to a lemonade stand where the vendor just spits in my hand to save a buck.  I'll just turn around ask you all for help in digging up some water.  

You're right.  I may not have a right to complain if I don't participate.  But, I also don't want to hear you complain if your "lesser-than-two-evils" vote allows it to continue. 

Entitlement

Lately I've been hearing the familiar notes of the entitlement song being trumpeted by most anyone with an opinion on the state of being in this country. A bi-partisan battle hymn about how American life is being dragged through the muck and mud of ineptitude by those that feel they're owed something/everything by everyone around them, simply because they were born here, seems to twist and turn every nearly-full belly.

Whether it be the cliche welfare and food stamps debate, or how long it takes my generation and latter to find/create their place in this world, all the way down to why more kids aren't starting musical bands "these days", we've come to accept a notion that being handed everything fosters an environment where the almost-immediate next-generation slips into malaise and general lack of interest in pursuing feats and endeavors requiring any amount of hard work or diligence.

Heck, as a bona fide selective-outrage-card carrying member of what I've been referring to as, "Generation Zzzzzzzzzzz", I've found myself espousing the same rhetoric and ideology, and I can say that I do believe it plays a large factor in a number of society's shortcomings and downfalls. FED LIONS SLEEP.  Why try when the end of satisfaction seems nowhere in sight?

I get it. I see it. It's us.

But I want to chime in on one aspect of this debate that is not spoken of enough.

See, I feel like when I participate in or overhear conversations regarding entitlement, all the aforementioned common themes and subtexts of entitlement seem to revolve solely around inactivity as the agent of the poor and less fortunate. It exclusively acts as the header for items of laziness. And, I guess, to a large extent that's true. It is the most fertile ground for it to grow on.

What I don't understand is how entitlement is not lumped in with our current financial crisis and widening wealth divide. Why is it that when speaking of the injustices and crimes the wealthy elite have perpetrated when, say, gambling away futures on derivatives made of toxic mortgages, or improperly hedging loans and losing two billion dollars, the word greed is more often thrown around? Are they really different? Greed, like laziness, is the excrement of entitlement.

Is it so hard to believe that members of our "entitled generation" didn't just sink and become the grit on the bottom of society's glass? Maybe they were handed lavish educations, pursued powerful positions, and became the bitter froth on the rim as well. Because while some were at home subsisting on, "I want you to have all the things I didn't have. Wait there, honey; I'll get it for you.", others were being fed a steady diet of, "The world is your oyster.  All's fair and acquire everything you can."

To me laziness and greed are opposing reactions to the same stimuli.  And to simply place the burden of ineffectuality squarely on those with less will only leave the disease partially researched and thus resistant to treatment and control.  Responsibility should be evenly distributed to all that take without first measuring it's effects on those around them. And taking without measure is the root of all our problems. Not just coddling.

YES, we are the generation that never turned off our bedroom light because someone was always there to tuck us in, but let's not forget that we are also the generation that never refilled the water bottle.

A Hankering.

I want to believe in the ability to travel throughout one's own mind in a lucid journey to understand that each part can be folded or manipulated in an effort to distort the world's actions into an environment suitable for personal growth. I want to believe in the ability to train the soul to both need nothing and experience everything. I want to own jealousy, not be owned by it. I want to trace the lineage of my anger back to one solitary place; a place that can be pitted and removed forever. I want to understand why the eyes and the heart heart cannot connect with the ears and the penis. I want my stomach to untie ITSELF once in a while. I want my legs to not shake when I'm forced to remain still for moments on end. I want to not NEED you, but ACCEPT you when available, and accept me when you're not. I want to forget how everything made me feel when I was younger. I want to understand the imagination as the place where life truly begins. I want to realize that in my truest words, I am free. I want my eyes to not set tears on their sill, ready to topple anytime. I want to replace sadness with ferocity. I want hunger to never subside. I want to own nothing that can't be discarded in a bag. I want to remove love from sex. I want everything to remain as is, so I can analyze and distinguish it from everything that has ever been, then remove what only carries consequence. I want the willful ignorance I endure at the hands of my desires to escape through my lungs in one last exasperated breath. I want to burn my television set - see it's insides melt and understand that machines have neither the pixels nor the energy source to generate what the nose and eyes can. I want to understand that we are receptors of goodwill and adjustment, solitary animals operating amongst a pack, vicious and cunning, nurturing and concerned. I want to understand that we are complicated, that we are a mix of nature's whim and nurture's will, and that being complicated is intriguing and terrifying. I want to not be tired.

And I want it all now.