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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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| My Wasted Vote | |
| -by Beau Burriola I want to say something to all those folks (and many of my liberal friends) who regularly tell me how my vote is wasted at the presidential season. Forgive me if I sound smug about it all. Now that he has clinched his nomination, Barack Obama is proving that he isn't really so much change after all. Last week's Senate vote renewing FISA, the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act, is only the latest step in a whole series that prove my point exactly. After vowing three times that he would not vote for a bill that brings immunity to telephone companies who broke the law (let's face it, whether you believe it was right or wrong, they broke the law), Senator Obama has broken that vow and voted to renew a law with immunity to telephone companies. After clinching the Democratic nomination on promises, his response to his supporters on his latest broken promise was "I realize that for some of you, this is a deal breaker. That's okay." In other words, "Screw you all who voted for me. I have enough votes without you." Is anyone surprised? Honestly? After watching Obama suddenly becoming the Second Amendment champion, the abortion foe, and the "traditional marriage" trooper, I'm not at all surprised at the most recent abandonment. It all is a blue print for what is wrong with a two party system and the perfect example of why I join less than five percent of Americans every election season to vote for "SOMETHING, ANYTHING" else. Because of the chagrin of many of my liberal pals, I am often the butt of jokes, the object of ire, or the blame for the current state of the messy economy and the Iraq War -- because hey, my vote for Nader was a vote for Bush. I am as politically fringey as they come, if you believe the things folks say, but I'm more convinced now than ever I am right. In a country that is politically deadlocked, where our government frequently does things in our name that are neither right nor responsible, I feel like I have always voted my conscience. In an economy that is getting progressively worse, in a world that doesn't trust America, in a business environment where corporations determine the very rule of law itself, I feel like I have always voted my conscience. In election after election, when promises are made and broken and everyone questions everyone else's patriotism to the point of hate with the most fallacious reasoning they can conjure up, I feel like I have always voted my conscience. I realize that Ralph Nader will never be President of the United States. I'm not even convinced he'll make more of a splash this time than the last. However, I believe very strongly that continuing to vote for a broken system only feeds a broken system. One day, a viable third party candidate will rise up and won't have a lopsided face and sketchy speaking demeanor. He won't scare children who he goes to kiss. And I will vote for that person, too. For now, though, I will again go to the polls this year and vote for the only person I can vote for in this election with a clear conscience. I will make no compromise in my beliefs when I cast my vote. I will remain on the fringes with the potheads and the armpit hair chicks in hemp skirts. And I'm okay with that. In my opinion, the only wasted vote one can make is the one that is not cast. Those few who manage to vote without compromise to even one of their own beliefs are the true patriots. Fringe patriots perhaps, but patriots all the same. Beau Burriola is a Queer writer floating along the lily pads, dozing in the bottom of a canoe. beaubrent@gmail.com |
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