Friends who all believe in voting weighed in to encourage voting. I am in the practice of considering both extremes in any important question or position, as well as the center-ground perspective. Think THINK Think. I attend a very conservative church, a very liberal church, and some moderate churches, and then made a decision about what works for me. I attended an Atheist Toastmasters group for a year to learn peacefulness that comes from the inside-out what everyone around me is arguing things I don’t subscribe to (I referred to them as “Born Again Atheists”, because 1) they were as fervent as Born Again Christians, and 2) they wanted to be the only ones who could finger-point at the Born Again concept. I won’t go into all of the settings where I learned to listen to opposing POV’s without judgement, but I practiced this for decades. The following commentary scratches only the surface of what I believe and remember, just because I am arguing a point doesn’t mean I believe it. I’m just trying to grow past my comfort zone.
When an OPEN & FREE debate is routinely practiced in presidential arenas (currently media circuses), including a voice for the Minority Opinion (not just getting their name on the ticket, which most persons bearing minority opinion rarely realized), then I'll believe "voting matters".
Revolutions are fostered through living what one believes (be the change) and historically takes place behind closed doors. The Illusion of Choice is alive and well in America until we get to see behind closed doors. Like they say, “Follow the Money” if you can…which you can’t.
I wish someone had the initiative to stand up and represent the opposing point of view (voting doesn’t matter), even if they don't believe it. No one knows anything about a point of view until they've argued both sides exhaustively.
Grassroots movements are rarely born by ballot. They might get to the ballot box eventually, but by the time it happens, the system that so many people believe in INfiltrates and strains out anything that doesn't make money for the media. Remember that 2% of the world’s population controls 98% of the world’s wealth (or thereabouts). This is possible thanks to voting (IF voting matters).
Let vote to make sexual orientation a constitutional issue, but then have a judge overturn the popular vote through the balances of constitutionality. Let make killing women who have abortions legal by voting like they want to do in Texas. Let’s vote for buying bullets, enough to place one in the head of everyone who does or doesn’t believe in Islam, Communism, Christianity, all in the name of stopping terrorism. Do you think Muslims are not terrorized when the “All Lies” Allies have bombs that I never voted for dropped on them? Where on the ballots does it say, “If you believe in killing your enemy, check yes or no on the respective box?
***I intend to revisit each post here and consider each argument in depth. This will take a while. In life, I have learned more from people who disagreed with me than from those who were “on the same page’ as me. That's what I was really after, POV's that differed from my own.
Fortunately, I didn't expect anyone to shut up or not complain because they don't agree with me. It's not all about me. Self-respect is respect for others as part of who I AM. WE are more than CONSENSUS and the mediocre freedom that grows from such stripped soil.
True Democracy would vote the well-to-do out of their bank accounts, so the rich insulate themselves by skirting the process (off-shore banking) that the average person makes up for in the form of higher taxes. People that vote people into power who vote for war, do not represent faith-based positions, like ‘love your enemies, forgive those who _____ (fill in the blank), 70X7, turn the other cheek, etc.
We don't "get to vote" over Love. We either do it or we don't. If it ain't about Love, it ain't about God. I enjoy the balance between church and state on those extremely rare occasions it actually transpires. So, I'll study everyone's post and THANK YOU AGAIN for taking the time to respond! I Love You! Pass It On! In the meanwhile, "Let them eat cake!"