First, I, for one, am happy that this day has come so I don’t have to listen to all of the smear advertisements that now plague the television. I’m all for spreading your message if you’re a political candidate (provided the information you disseminate is true and your ads haven’t been paid for by corporate interests), but the amount of propaganda out there is disheartening. Some of the commercials I’ve seen are so nasty that I swear they might as well just say, “The other candidate forces old men to kill puppies" or "My opponent hates his mother." I think the public loses when ads use rhetoric like that because instead of saying what the person running will do, they just focus on what her/his opponent has allegedly done wrong. This does not make for informed voters who actually know where candidates stand.
That being said, I hope people take the time to research the candidates (and issues they stand for) and vote tomorrow. Lord knows I’ve gotten enough postings on my facebook wall to remind me to vote. And as annoying as these posts can be, it’s important to remember that elections have consequences. The people we elect and ballot measures we pass will directly affect our lives for months and years in the future.
It’s also important to note that many candidates and ballot measures that have the most impact on people’s lives often get the least amount of attention. For instance, in Michigan, our Supreme Court is elected, yet, I have not seen many advertisements or information about the judges who are running. While these justices are supposed to be impartial, they run on party platforms and often bring their political biases and values with them when rendering decisions. Currently, the conservative judges on Michigan’s Supreme Court have a 4-3 majority. These people are the same justices who used their power to strip basic healthcare coverage from same-sex partners (and children) of public employees (including workers at public schools and government offices). Tomorrow, Michigan residents have the opportunity to change this; we have the chance to vote for Supreme Court justices who believe in fairness and equality for all. While I agree that it’s important to vote in ‘bigger’ elections (like for the office of the president), we should pay attention to who and what we’re voting for in ‘smaller’ elections as well.
Ballot measures are another example of policies that can have huge consequences. Colorado currently has an initiative on the ballot that would grant constitutional personhood to fetuses (which would clearly have legal ramifications on women’s reproductive freedom). And several other states (including one I used to live in, Arizona) have ballot measures that oppose the Employee Free Choice Act (the bill that would essentially establish a better, easier, more efficient system for employees to join unions and have employers recognize them). These ballot initiatives directly affect people’s everyday lives, and it’s so important to thoroughly research each measure and make informed decisions when we vote on them.
Also, I think we must recognize that voting is not enough. If we want to bring about true social change, we cannot let our action stop at the ballot box. We must hold our politicians accountable. This means we should be regularly calling, emailing and visiting them. It’s so easy to phone our local representatives, schedule appointments with them and discuss the issues that are important to us.
Additionally, we must be advocates and activists in systems beyond the government. I think the reason people are so frustrated with government is because it can never solve all of our problems (no matter how near-perfect it is). We must create justice and peace in our own communities. If we don’t like something, we have the power to change it. So let’s use the time we spent reminding folks to vote on facebook to write letters to the editors of our local newspapers or call the CEOs of companies whose policies we don’t agree with.
Lastly, when we do vote, it’s imperative that we don’t just vote for our own self-interests, but, instead, for the interests of all. Let’s vote and advocate for the common good, and let’s commit to working for change on November 2nd…and for years to come.
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