Regarding people being verbally assaulted for not voting or "doing stuff
to change the country":
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY.
Unless something REALLY weird happens, the people in power will
generally stay there. Why? Because America has a FUCKING HUGE NUMBER
OF STUPID IDIOTS, and huge numbers are what win elections and get bills
passed. In any election, we are given two choices: Republican and
Democrat (I'll talk about the Reform Party later). The first thing you
must realize is that Republicans and Democrats are basically identical.
Oh sure, they have token disagreements (abortion, the environment, etc)
but on all the things which REALLY need to be changed in this country,
they act the same. Legalize victimless crimes (prostitution, "soft"
drugs, gambling)? Not a chance. Sure, they're giving you a "choice"...
just like you can "choose" to buy either Coke or Pepsi. THEY'RE BOTH
STILL COLA. Just like you can "choose" either PC or Macintosh. I don't
vote because such choices are irrelevant. Add to this the fact that the
American public has had it drilled into their heads that no one from a
third party could ever win a presidential race... which is essentially
true, thanks to the electoral system. Because of the electoral system,
the votes of millions of people are completely ignored. Let's say there
was some radical, free-thinking, intelligent, kick-ass politician that
actually made any kind of sense whatsoever (like Kevorkian's lawyer, the
guy that ran in Michigan AND LOST). Let's say enough people in
free-thinking states like California and New York voted to get him the
electoral votes (we're in the realm of fantasy now, but bear with me).
EVEN IF THAT HAPPENED, enough ignorant rednecks in those dozens of
states inbetween coasts (and I live in one, I know what I'm speaking of)
would still vote either Republican or Democrat, thus STILL ensuring the
current system is in place.
Now, Jesse Ventura may be a little weird, but he's pro-marijuana and
anti-organized-religion (check out his Playboy interview), so there may
at least be a tiny bit of hope for the Reform Party. He went a bit far
in saying that religion is a crutch for the "weak"; in my book, we ALL
have our crutches. Mine are love, music, drugs, and
god/goddess/gods/goddesses, in that order.
When I saw the movie of Animal Farm, it reminded me more of American
than the old Russia. "Let's keep building a windmill that doesn't do
anything" = "Let's keep working on roads even though there's nothing
wrong with them".
"Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy."
np:Ghost, "Live With Me"
--
...extensive liner notes and make-believe alien languages...
Rev. Jack Godsey.
http://members.tripod.com/~spill/index.html
Spiritual counsel and webmaster for Pegasi 51.
http://members.tripod.com/pegasi51/index.html
