Voters 4 Prez

Today on Mom.me, I'm talking midterm elections. 

Midterm elections are coming and I want to hear from YOU. I want to hear why you vote and how you vote and why it’s important for you to get out there and vote. Yes, I’m talking to everyone, but specifically the ladies in the house, because there is a lot on the line, at the moment, when it comes to female bodies and our rights to them.

I happen to live in a progressive state (California), but to quote my friend Sarah Flicker of Lady P Justice, “our experience being a woman—and our rights—shouldn’t depend on our ZIP code(s).”

Midterm elections are November 4th, 2014, which means we all have a month to register. (Or re-register—if, like me, you have recently moved. I forgot to do this last time and ended up having to fill out a provisional ballot because I totally flaked. This year, however, I am proud to say that I have re-registered at my current address and look forward to flexing my "I VOTED" sticker like a champ.)

I’m not just talking about Democratic women voters, by the way. I’m talking about everyone: conservative voters, liberal voters, voters without a party ... (That’s me: I don’t identify with either party, anymore. I identify with ideas and human beings who respect the opinions and choices of others without trying to interfere with them. So far, no “party” has represented that for me. )

It is my personal belief that the only way to make real change is to listen to those who disagree with us and understand where it is they are coming from. Debate is healthy and important. Hell, it's MANDATORY, really, and I have learned that from all of you these last twelve years. Thank you. (I once wrote an entire blog post about how I could *never* be friends with a Republican. That was a naive and ignorant thing to write and say and I believe we all, at the end of the day, want the same things for our children. I also think it's important to TRULY hear out ALL points of view, so long as they are respectful of other points of view because there are millions of points of view that point to different views and have points and I respect all who think for themselves.)

Respecting the voices of others while raising my own. That is my party of choice. That's what makes democracy beautiful and important and worth fighting for. 

“If you are bored and disgusted by politics and don't bother to vote, you are in effect voting for the entrenched Establishments of the two major parties, who please rest assured are not dumb, and who are keenly aware that it is in their interests to keep you disgusted and bored and cynical and to give you every possible reason to stay at home doing one-hitters and watching MTV on primary day. By all means stay home if you want, but don't bullshit yourself that you're not voting. In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: You either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some diehard's vote.” - David Foster Wallace. 

Please go here, to read the column in its entirety and comment with your thoughts. Much thanks to Sarah Sophie Flicker and Lady P Justice for the pinnable images that appear here and on Mom.me. 

GGC