...when vicious glossy ads start coming in the mail, the TV is filled with commercials sporting deep-voiced men warning you about the apocalypse to come, and the annoying people show up on campus asking every person who passes by, "You registered? You registered? You registered???"
Yes, folks, once again the election season is upon us. In one week a (regrettably) very small and rather uninformed percentage of the American population will go to the polls of the greatest free country in the world to choose the leaders of that country for the next two to six years. Are we scared at all yet?
If I ever get my official voter's guide in the mail, and find out where the heck my polling place is, I will (probably have to ditch class to) vote on November 7th. I'm not a very political kind of guy, but I think it's important that everyone who can vote, should vote--as a citizen and as a Christian.
My friends have had interesting various and sundry reactions to this year's election season. One of my friends is not even sure which county she's registered in. One of my friends registered right when she turned 18, then moved to a different state and has yet to vote in any election (she's now 21). One of my friends, as a protest against how much politics has turned into a game, has half-jokingly resolved not to vote for the candidate with the best principles or policies, but the candidate with the most charisma, the best persuasion abilities and the slickest-looking ads.
So what's a Christian to do? What do y'all think? Let's get another lively discussion going on here again, it's been too long....
And in the meantime, I think we'd all do well to remember DW's words on the subject:
My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
No, my first allegiance is not to democracy, or blood
It's to a King and a Kingdom....
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4 comments:
There are a number of points which I wholeheartedly agree with:
1. "the annoying people show up on campus asking every person who passes by, 'You registered? You registered? You registered???'"
- Yes! I am! Can you please remember my face? I've passed by 6 times today and we had a class together last quarter!
2. "In one week a (regrettably) very small and rather uninformed percentage of the American population will go to the polls of the greatest free country in the world to choose the leaders of that country for the next two to six years."
- It is quite disturbing that for the 2004 presidential election, we were excited to have 60% of the nation's population to have voted. This percentage does not even equal the 2/3 vote to ratify a bill.
3. "Are we scared at all yet?"
- Yes, and for this reason, I have unfortunately (though maybe not "un") turned into one of the people who we despise on the pathways to class; though not on campus, but in my hall. I have implemented a passive voter registration poster program in my hall to encourage new voters to step up and take charge of their country through informed voting.
4. "My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country or a man
No, my first allegiance is not to democracy, or blood
It's to a King and a Kingdom..."
- I love the direct allegory of political terms in reference to God in light of the two preceeding political statements.
Have a happy election day on the 7th!
And AJ (and everyone else who is interested as well), check out my new post. I'd like your opinion on it. It is purely fiction, no real allegory as with your story (which I enjoyed wholeheartedly)
I was actually contemplating politics last night. Mostly because I don't feel very Republican... that doesn't mean I'm a democrat, or liberal. I don't really know what I am anymore. It's come to my attention that there is rarely a good candidate to vote for. I despise voting while being uninformed, but the facts are so polluted and everyone has an agenda, what to do? More than anything I would like to see our nation come together. Seeing how people treat other parties like sub-humans reminds me of how the body of Christ has split and often looks down on those with different views. In the end what is our goal? To all be one in mind. Yet that will never happen as long as party members despise others for not seeing things their way and being just as egocentric.
I would like someone worth voting for to step up; I know they're out there!
Well, since you were so insistent that I comment, I suppose I might as well . . .
And since you said I can't begin a campaign to have John Locke elected governor of California, I suppose I have to come up with something else . . .
So let's talk about how politics have become a (rather unpopular) game! And how people don't really care anymore unless something "bad" happens!
Let's start with the fact that more people voted in the last American Idol election than the last political one. Because, as we all know, who the next semi-popular mildly talented singer is is MUCH more important than what the next new laws will be.
And then let's look at what happened last time our state held an election for a governor. There was Mr. Davis, who had screwed everything up and was being ousted. No one wants to vote for him. There was Mr. Bustamante, who had served under David and who nobody really liked anyway. There was Mr. McClintock, a republican who looked okay. And then there was Mr. Schwarzenegger, the big, hunkin' movie star who we all had seen save the world countless times. "If he saved the world," we said, "surely he can save California."
So naturally, we elected him. I have no evidence to support this, but I'd be willing to bet that a significant percentage of Schwarzenegger's vote was simply from the fact that he was a movie star. And people wanted to amend the constitution to allow him to run for president.
I'll admit that he's done a better job on the whole than I expected, but still. Electing someone because of their popularity seems positively stupid.
So . . . yes. I suppose I'm simply entreating everyone to actually research the candidates first. Don't just vote for the one you've heard of, or the one your party generally supports automatically.
Either that, or perhaps we should all just move to Canada.
I vote for what I think is right, no matter the party or the platform. My votes are based on values gleaned from the way of Jesus, not rule-makers and opinion-twisters of any religion or denomination.
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