I am not a Republican or a Democrat. I like to say I was raised to vote for the person, not the party. Who cares what sticker the guy has on his bumper, if he doesn't have the right morals or ideas?
Now, I don't always know what we're voting over, or which candidate of two I prefer, or even who the candidates are. I don't read the paper much (in Pontotoc, the word 'news' is debatable when referring to the Progress), and the campaign commercials are completely unreliable for basing one's opinions on. For real, what candidate won't tell the absolute best lie about himself possible, and the worst possible dirt about his opponents? I've yet to hear one yet that says 'My opponents are great guys' or 'These are the mistakes I've made, and I'm sorry.'
Most of the time, I talk with my parents the week or so before an election. My dad especially keeps up with politics, as lots of the time whoever gets elected to various position in town affects the work he does. I'm smart enough to know that if I don't understand something as important as a new law, I need to ask someone who does before voting blind. Usually, my parents explain the laws or tell me the different people running, and then they'll tell me how they're voting and why.
This election, I'm having a hard time not getting ill with Mississippi. Oh, lets just come out with it and say I'm already ill at Mississippi, because I am. This election, we'll be voting on three new amendments - 26, 27, and 31. This is the waaaay watered down version but 26 is going to be determining how Mississippi defines personhood, or what stage of conception/pregnancy/birth a baby is considered a person. 27 is for adding a law stating we have to show ID to vote. 31 is for amending the state's eminent domain laws.
This is my beef. I think that Mississippi's laws are written in a way as to deliberately confuse us. For example, part of Amendment 31 was read aloud in church Wednesday night. At first, and actually second and third read throughs, I couldn't tell you which way voting yes would say you were going, and neither could most of the congregation. 31 was written so confusingly that nobody knows whether to vote yes or no, and what that's going to mean for them. The KISS principle could have been liberally applied here to great effect. 99% of Mississippians do not speak Advanced Lawyerish.
26 is even worse. The personhood part I get. I belive that you're a valid, legitimate, whole person from the instant you're a fertilized egg, from the moment of conception. But everyone has gone ape-wild reading into Amendment 26. 'It's going to outlaw birth control!' 'If you vote no, you're pro-abortion!' and so on and so forth. I'm not telling you how I'm voting or how you should, I'm not stating my views on what I think Amendment 26 entails, and I don't want to hear yours. I'm so tired of every other post on Facebook being a ten paragraph spill of someone preaching their views and condemning everyone else's. Honestly, my view is that Amendment 26 shouldn't be written where you could read ANYTHING into it. As it 'Do you believe that a baby is a person from the moment of conception? Yes or no.' Simple.
This is what I WILL say. Be responsible. Don't vote yes or no because you saw it on Facebook. Actually do some legit research, because these are some pretty big things you're voting on. And if you're old enough to vote, you're old enough to know what you're voting on and why. Use the internet, for Pete sake. The government has it too.
Candidates I can't really help you on. I'm planning on having a long talk with my Dad Sunday or Monday. I suggest you do the same if you aren't a Poly-Sci major or just some politics guru. Don't vote for somebody just because you remember their sign from the 4-way stop that morning or because he's your cousin's husband's daddy.
Yeah. Don't vote just because he's Pedro.
And seriously, if you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain about what you didn't vote on.
Amen, Amen, Amen! You are right on, girl! :)
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