Vote!

I try not to get too political in my online life. I save it for inflicting upon my real-life peeps so I can enjoy their frothing in person. (Although since my conservative Republican MomMom died I haven’t had enough rousing discussions. Sigh. I don’t get disowned nearly as often anymore. I miss it.) But I will say this to you all… VOTE!

I know it can be hard and exasperating to vote. It’s especially hard for those who already are the faintest voices, which is so patently unfair I can’t even. For the rest of us, I know it might seem pointless and sometimes contradictory to the message many of us want to send to the elected officials we think don’t adequately represent us.

Whatever. VOTE!

Vote because it’s your civic duty as the citizen of an ostensible democracy. Vote because other people don’t get to. Vote because you want to make a change. Or maybe you want to keep something the same. Vote because you are young and idealistic. Vote because you are old and disgruntled. Vote because if you don’t, I refuse to listen to you bitch. Just VOTE!

I’m a writer, so of course I believe in the power of a single voice to make a difference. But even if you don’t believe the same, if you vote for no other reason, do it for this: “THEY” don’t want you to vote. The nefarious forces at work in our society (and they do exist) are only strengthened by apathy and hopelessness. Even if you don’t think YOUR vote matters, VOTING matters. So VOTE!