On Voting.

When it comes to politics I do not generally appeal to my local friends and my U.S.A friends at the same time. Today must be different

To my South African Friends,

In this coming year we have a general election coming up. I beg of you take a stand and be counted. Vote for someone, anyone. Heaven knows I don’t give a rat’s ass who you vote for. Just please don’t be complacent about it. Take a moment to reflect on how your right to vote was paid for in blood by many. Take a moment to reflect on how if you don’t vote now, in ten years you may not have the right to vote anymore. Reflect for a moment on how grand life might be if Julius Malema gets a cabinet post.

If you have not registered yet , *smack* you naughty person you. Head on over to
https://www.elections.org.za. You can find out where to register or verify that you are still registered and on the Voters Roll. Mark the 8th and 9th of November 2008 in your diary’s now. These are voter registration days, where you will be able to register at your nearest polling station. A South African I.D. Document and proof of residence will be required.

To my American friends,

Your day of reckoning is a lot closer. All I will say here is maybe just maybe if there had been less voter apathy the “Clown Prince of The World”, George Dubbya would not have had a second term in office. Don’t think your vote cannot make a difference. When your top man/woman treads on your civil liberties, they tread on the worlds’. Yes I am a fan of Barack Obama, but no, I won’t be prescriptive of how you should vote. Just please do vote. Maybe you want to reflect on where the republican administration got you and the world in the last two terms of office.

A Conclusion of sorts,

In short people voter apathy for me is appalling. If you are apathetic, don’t complain about your government after the fact. It may well be that your apathetic attitude helped put them there.

Interesting that apathy and pathetic have their origins in the same greek root “pathos”
Apathy – Insensibilty or indifference to suffering
Pathetic – liable to suffer.

Notably I think one leads the other. Your indifference to suffering will make you liable to suffer.

One last time, with feeling. Go and Register, Go and Vote Dammit! :-)