I hear people all the time who are disillusioned by the political process say “my vote don’t matter”. My initial response is always “If it didn’t mater, then why have “they” and why do “they” try to stop you from voting”. The logical reason is because it does matter! Your vote matters. Forget the jargon about the popular vote versus the electoral college, votes count silly.
If you haven’t been in a bubble these last 8 years (because this also happened in the 2004 election), our USA is returning back to the days of Jim Crow. During the Jim Crow era in order for African American males to vote, they had to go through a series of hurdles like the grandfather clause, literacy test, poll tax, and rural transportation issues. If you made it through these hurdles, violent threats ensured that you did not cast your vote. Seems like those days were a long time ago. But they are still in existence in the here and now. Today, voting restrictions are not only targeted at prisoners and ex-felons, but at your grandmother and those college kids. They are going after everyone “disenfranchisement 2012” style.
Sarah Silverman’s “Let My People Vote” campaign commercial is crudely, yet honestly addressing the plan of Republicans to suppress the vote of seniors, minorities, veterans, and students who would regularly vote democrat by creating strict laws that involve ID’s, disenfranchisement of prisoners, voter purging, and early voting limits. And its all happening in swig states, states that are vital for winning the election. If you do not believe her and think voter suppression is just some celebrity conspiracy, you need to listen to this, plus this, and also watch this. It is not a game people. Voter fraud does not exist. The reason republicans are creating stricter rules for voting is to suppress the vote in order to allow republicans to win. This is not true democracy and something must be done.
But wait… YOU can do something about it. Do Not be discouraged, Tell your friends who are disillusioned to get over themselves, make sure you have an acceptable ID, register to Vote and go and Vote on November 6, 2012!!! If you don’t, our nation will fail not because of one person or group of political savvy leaders, but because of the lack of information, apathy and defeatist spirit of millions.
MORE RESOURCES
Voting Law Changes 2012 Report (Brennan Center For Justice)
The Long Shadow of Jim Crow: Special Report (NAACP)
The Myth of Voter Fraud (NYTimes)
State Felony Disenfranchisement Reform 1997-2008 (Sentencing Project)
Felony Disenfranchisement Laws in the U.S. (Sentencing Project)
