vote or be pummeled by an aluminum bat

yes, an extreme title to say the least. But the fact is that someone has to shake the hell out of us to remind us all of the responsibility we have. We live in the country that shapes the direction of our entire planet. As citizens of that country we have the right to shape the policies of the entire world through our vote!

Fact: PEOPLE ARE KILLING AND DYING FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE
Fact: More people vote for the American Idol then for our congress
Fact: America is in as bad of shape as its been in most people's lifetime.

Look I've never met anyone who didn't think they were pretty smart. Most of my friends spend 5 hours a week on their fantasy football team. So why in the hell don't people spend a few hours (at least the week of the election) and figure out what direction our country should be going?

Well I don't totally understand our apathy, but I do have a few thoughts on why...

1. There is an overload of misleading and partisan material that people do not feel as if they can get the truth in a reasonible amount of time. They feel like trying to figure out what/who to vote for is a lost cause.

2. People want things to work out without putting the work in. Part of this is just pure laziness and part of it is that our society has just gotten too complex and success driven. Many people I know that are both brilliant and hard workers are so focused on their own individual success that they do not spend any time trying to help the country. They're career and personal lives take all of their time and the last thing they want to do after our society's new 70 hour work week is to read about politics.

3. American Idol is a really very entertaining show.

4. The last few generations were not raised to be politically active. Now I don't know about you, but when I was young we didn't discuss politics at our dinner table. In fact our dinner table was often on the couch with frozen food or fast food and the conversations revolved around Melrose place. People have gotten used to things being okay without their participation... so why start now?

5. There is no great leaders to rally the people. Look, think what you want about George Bush, John Kerry, or Al Gore, but the fact is that none of them inspire. What ever happened to "ask not what your country can do for you..." or "I have a dream..." Our country really needs someone that strikes an emotional chord. Someone that makes them want to participate, vote, pay attention, and care at their very core! (Ryan Seacrest in '08.)

Look there is no quick fix. Our country is at an alltime low for respect around the world, security of our planet, people's envolvement, and leadership. Those are problems that will not be solved by any single election, speech, or blog. But we have to start somewhere. If we all just cared a little bit more. Talk to your friends and family about what is happening, vote, read a few articles, write a letter to your congressional representative about something, foward a political email, sign a petition, write a blog, go to a rally, or anything else that feels like your part. Just remember that if you sit around and wait for everyone else to do something then you have sacrificed the greatest single right you have.

"If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice" -Rush

Lets turn a corner america.
Scot