In case you missed it, it’s an election year.
Now, wait. Don’t go running off just yet.
What if I promise to include something you really care about – like the Writer’s Strike or Brit-Brit’s vagina or some kind of random internet drama? Because that’s interesting and worth your time and attention.
As you’ve surely noticed, a lot of people are getting themselves worked up into a frenzy – defending their candidate, tearing into the other candidates, comparing one party to another, blah blah blah blah blah. ZZZZZZ… right?
I know. This “who is going to be chief in command” shit is so boring. I mean, my God, it’s just POLITICS. Right?
Why the fuck do we need to spend months and months being bombarded with political commercials?? Everyone knows beer commercials are the best! Why should we be expected to listen to all this rhetoric and posturing and talking and like I’m even going to haul my lazy ass out to the polls during prime time to vote anyway and blah blah blah they’re all a buncha crooks anyway and man I wish the Office would come back on. I love that show.
Why the hell should we care?
I’ll tell you why.
- Because gas is over $3.00 a gallon. Are you honestly going to say that doesn’t affect your day to day fucking life? Really? And do you really think that outrageous fuel prices aren’t maybe affecting the economy just a teeny tiny bit?
Really? How was your Christmas this year?
- Because someone you know either directly or indirectly has spent months and months over in Iraq. Some of them didn’t come back. Of the ones who did, many of them will be returning at some point. People are fucking dying - the least you can do is have as strong an opinion on that (one way or another) as you do about Britney’s mental health.
At some point your kids (or your nephews, or your grandchildren) will be old enough to register for selective service. If they aren’t already.
- Because you blog- and right now you still have a right to say whatever the fuck you want.
I mean, I’m sure no one would ever have a problem with your blog anyway. Because you’re not Muslim. Or Jewish. Or Atheist. Or Agnostic. Or pornographic. Or black. Or Mexican. Or Indian. Or Catholic. Or gay. Or profane. Or spank. Or watch cable. Or smoke. Or eat fatty foods. Or enjoy Harry Potter or anything weird like that anyway… right?
Yeah, never mind, you’re probably not using your civil liberties anyway.
- Because we’re spending money building a 700-mile picket fence between here and Mexico. Because no pesty little Mexicans will be able to get through that.
Oh, that’s right, you don’t care about immigration anyway. Of course you can’t get to Mexico without a passport anymore either, but whatever. Like you’re going to leave your TiVo for that long anyway.
Besides, you probably couldn’t afford a trip to Mexico right now if you wanted to go. Why is that again?
- Because some day you or a woman you care about may be raped, or have an unplanned pregnancy, and you (or they) may or may not have the choice to keep that baby… or not. The people who make that decision? Will be chosen by our next president. Period.
Of course you would never have an abortion anyway! That’s AWFUL! HORRIBLE! So, what do you care if it’s legal to kill unborn babies or not?
- Because you pay taxes. Period.
Whether you vote for a Republican or a Democrat or you sit your apathetic ass at home that night – you will pay taxes for the next four years.
At least have a say in how that money is spent.
- Because going to the doctor has become a luxury for almost everyone. If you have insurance, you have copays and deductibles – and a long list of “conditions” that aren’t covered anyway. And if you don’t have insurance? Well, you just pray like hell that neither you or your kids get sick.
Preventative health care is almost non-existent for many people at this stage. Especially if you’re a woman.
The health care system in this country needs to be fixed. You have a say in how that happens.
People died for you to have the right to get informed and be involved – at least to the point of pulling a fucking lever.
People are dying right now to give other people the chance to have those rights.
I know it feels like “it doesn’t matter anyway” and “they’re all a bunch of fucking crooks” and “nothing is going to change anyway”. But look at the world today and how different it is from eight years ago. Good, bad, or otherwise – it does matter.
It matters if you say it does.
And it doesn’t matter just for you. It matters for your parents. It matters for your children. It matters for people who have less than you and more than you.
Our generation has become so apathetic. We’ve thrown up our hands and collapsed into our sofas with feeble protests that “it doesn’t matter anyway.” In the country that was created by revolutionary farmers with pitch forks, we’re afraid we can’t make a difference. In the country that boasts a history which includes JFK, the 60’s and the 70’s, women’s lib, a civil war, the Emancipation Proclamation… we still hold on to this delusion that PEOPLE can’t cause change.
Make your experience matter.
Whether you’re a democrat, a republican, or an independent thinker – make your voice heard.
And for God’s sake, inform yourself.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Posted in Serious Discussions - Politics, Religion, Society
I was 15 when George W. was elected and I cried. Then I voted for Kerry… but I think this will be our year, finally.
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Thank you Britt, I have been looking for a way to intelligently compare the candidates.
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according to this site, there are 4.5 liters to every gallon. right now we are paying 1.09 CAD per liter. 4.90 a gallon.
don;t complain too loud!
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That’s my girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Very good indeed.
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You know what impresses me the most? You didn’t push a candidate, you’re pushing for people just to give a shit. This is really nice work Britt, well done.
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Oooooo – cool linkies that make me thinkie
thanks! :clap:
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You mean all those MTV commercials about getting people to vote didn’t work?
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People hate politics because politicians spend so much time obscuring what their opponents believe in that by the time someone is elected enough people have been trained to hate him that nothing can get done as nobody trusts them anymore, or they’re just convinced they’re an asshole.
Then the handlers take over to make sure the elected official doesn’t tip his hand about what he actually thinks, or that he EVEN thinks, and the last half of their term is spent raising money for the next campaign so they have the resources to tell the voters what an asshole their opponent is.
So nobody knows what the truth or a lie is. Except for THESE GUYS a non-partisan web site dedicated to listing all the lies and innuendo and urban legends that are floating around, no matter who they’re about or who started them. Sort of like a political Snopes. Turns up nobody’s clean. What a surprise.
And if anybody wanted to just compare people up and down, ignore the cable, TV, radio and phone calls and just look at THIS.
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Love it. I am one of those people that push politics all the way to the back of their head thinking “What does it matter anyway?” But I know it does. Even in some small way.
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bluepaintred……
But, we have FAR better access to medical help. But our political system does not allow for voting on issues. But it makes our voting process quicker when all we have to do is put our “X” beside the name. But, we also have young men dying in Afghanistan, and our politicians are also crooks. But we still have the right to vote! Too bad we can’t keep the best of each country’s system and discard the worst. But, then we’d be Norway.
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I love you Britt and for that reason I will not argue politics with you. You have your opinions and I have mine. I am glad that you are as strongly opinionated as you are. It makes you who you are…
However the pesky mexicans who illegally come into our country should be locked into storage containers (the same ones they were smuggled here in) and shipped back home.
I spent 28hours in the emergency room with my daughter over the weekend waiting while 100s of mexicans used the emergency room as there free doctor. That is so not right!
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Even at $3.00 a gallon, gas is really cheap here compared to a lot of other places in the world. I’m actually hoping that it reaches $10.00 a gallon so that people will finally get off their asses and put alternative energy solutions to work. Right now, politicians are so far up the oil companies’ asses that alternatives are ignored… that needs to change. Fast.
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OMG! We were totally commenting on each other’s blogs at the same time just now! :clap:
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Dude, I care AND I pull the lever.
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you’re right.
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Amanda: I remember waking up the morning after the election and I was just… stunned.
ginamonster: yeah, it can be hard to do I think.
bluepaintred: yikes!
Mom:
Dan: thank you!
Dee: thank you. I’m OK with people who don’t vote the way I do, or agree with me – as long as they can tell me WHY. And yeah, having an opinion I suppose is the first step.
Kimberly: any time!
avitable: actually – the youth turnout in the last few elections have been historically high.
It’s the rest of us middle aged fucks who don’t care.
Peggy: small ways… turn into big ways. All big changes started with small ones.
Momma: I don’t know if you have better “access” – I’ve heard horror stories about people dying waiting for treatment there.
debkitty: you know – I don’t have any problem with you disagreeing with me. At ALL.
I’m just glad you have a strong opinion. That’s the first step in actually doing something about it.
Dave2: um, if it goes to $10/gallon I will go broke waiting for alternative fuel sources.
Poppy: good for you!!
Crys: always.
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I am a political junkie and I can’t wrap my brain around the reasons that people seem to think that politics are unimportant or boring. This election is the perfect time for me to start bringing my 14 y/o son up to speed on how American politics works and I gave him a speech quite similar to yours here about how this election is going to affect him.
It’s going to affect the condition and quality of his high school years. It’s going to affect how easy/hard it will be for him to go to college. It’s going to affect what risks he will be opening himself up to when he signs up for selective services. It’s going to affect how easy or hard it will be for him to get a job and what it will pay.
I wish that people would realize the importance of making an *informed* decision and not voting for the good-looking candidate or the minority candidate or the woman or the preacher or “THE” anything, but to really think about what’s important to you, not based on a comparison or what other people think the hot topic of the day is. It’s all about what’s important to you, and your kids and who best represents that.
My biggest fear about this election is that people will start to get the point about how important it is to vote, but won’t take the time to really get informed about the candidates. That, once again, we’ll see people voting based on superficial things and what they see on TV and not really having any actual concept of the person/politician they are voting for.
At this point, I’d rather see the people who vote regularly spend additional time learning about those on the ballot than see additional people voting for the one they’d like to have a beer with.
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RW: Sorry – the links got you stuck in the filter! And thanks for those… by the way. They are both excellent!
As for why people are pissed, and what’s wrong with the system, etc. – I don’t care anymore. I’ tired of the bitching and the apathy that we’ve all been guilty of. It’s time to do something.
Fyre: you do make an EXCELLENT point about that. I’d rather ignorant people just stay the hell home.
I mean, unless they’re going to be voting with me. In which case – get on the bus! LOL (I kid, I kid. Mostly.)
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Amen sistah, amen.
We have wonderful health insurance, but with my son’s condition, our out-of-pocket expenses were around $6,000 last year. And that’s not including our portion of the insurance premiums.
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What about the people who care but are not comfortable voting for any of the front runners?
The one candidate I supported (and I researched his voting record and took the quiz and everything) pulled out of the race (Chris Dodd). My friends keep telling me to just vote by party but I resent that it’s come down to that. :annoyed:
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Thanks, Brit, for a great post! I think what pisses me off most about election years and politics are the people who don’t vote… yet complain their asses off. Sorry. Didn’t pull the lever? Shut yer fuckin’ mouth!
OK, deep breath. Calming down…
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:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
WooHoo, Sistah! You said it! I normally don’t care about politics but this year I am so fired up. I think that I’ve felt “bent-over” by our current administration so long that it’s in my blood to care.
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We can go to the hospital anytime, get treated and not pay a penny. I was hospitalized in November and when discharged, just walked out of the door, no bills, no nothin. However, there are times we have to wait for treatment, like long waits for hip surgery, and sometimes, (not often)6 week waits for oncology treatments. No lid on lifetime costs, no insurance companies telling us what is covered. (Only things like plastic surgery is not covered. Even abortions are covered.) Our coverage beats not being able to get treatment at all! I just had surgery, it was elective, and I had a choice of several appointment times from two weeks to 6 weeks. I picked the 6 weeks because I wanted to wait till after Christmas. Death rates in our hospitals are equal, plus or minus a couple of percentage points per thousands, both sides of the border, apparently. And, the stories you hear about long waits and death are likely related to you by those against universal insurance, ie. the drug companies.
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not true momma – I live in Sask, and here at least, in some cases, plastic surgery is covered.
My breast reduction was completely covered as were my scar revision surgeries.
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bluepaintred…..
Cool, I know that there are exceptions, and I knew that most breasst reductions are covered but just trying to give an overview. I don’t believe that breast augmentation is covered, except for possibly after cancer, but I could be wrong. And, some of very important drugs aren’t on the covered list, but, on average, we can go to the hospital (because of our very much higher taxes) and be treated whether they want to or not! Witness all those going to emergency for a cold! For free!
I live in southern alberta,
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:wave: hi neighbor!
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:wave:
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wafelenbak, vote for who you like in the general election. If you don’t like anyone in the primaries, then just don’t vote in the primary or go ahead and vote for a compromise.
The Primary and the General Election are entirely different. For one thing, in the GE, you can write in a candidate or vote for a third party. I don’t care who you talk to, Gore didn’t lose in 2000 because of Nader… Kerry didn’t lose in 2004 because of Nader. Both of them lost because they weren’t strong enough to get people to support them ON THE ISSUES. Vote your conscience and know that you’ve done right by yourself.
Voting third-party, for example, strengthens that party. In my state, if a third party gets enough votes in an election, they don’t have to petition to get on the ballot the next time around. That’s not to be underestimated.
However, there are also more candidates still in the Democratic race than people are willing to acknowledge. You don’t have to choose between Obama and Clinton, so take a closer look at Edwards and Richardson. After both Iowa and New Hampshire, only 1% of the people have voted, there are 48 states to go. It’s still anyone’s race in real terms even if the media has already decided that Obama is our next president. THEY don’t decide… WE DO.
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amen…get educated and vote.
i just don’t see how people miss the importance of exercising their privilege to vote. we are lucky we are permitted to vote! do it, dammit!
we all know that no candidate is perfect, we all know that most of these schmucks are less than honest, but we need to pick the lessor of two evils. perhaps eventually we can get to picking the best of the best. until then, work with what you have and start to make a difference.
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Wow Britt—you did it again
Thanks for getting me excited and thinking.
Gramps
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Finn: yeah, the costs have gotten so far out of hand that they are out of reach for a lot of people.
wafelenbak: Chris Dodd came out on top for me too. My luck, LOL.
I wouldn’t vote by party – that’s crap. But I would force yourself to research and choose. Or you end up “choosing” by default. Keep researching if you need to in order to determine which candidate that’s left would do the most good in the areas that mean the most to you.
CMG: that’s what my mom always said too. Voting is your right to bitch – no matter who wins.
Hilly: I think that’s what happened in the 60s/70s. It got so bad people HAD to care.
I hope more people feel the way you do.
Momma & Blue: oh don’t get me wrong – it would sure as hell be nice to be guaranteed coverage. I’m just not sure the US is ready to adopt EXACTLY the same system you guys have.
FyreGoddess: I would never vote third party I don’t think, but maybe that’s just me.
I’m also always a Democrat. Not by rule, but by precedence at least. Although I would have considered Ron Paul. Maybe.
hellohahanarf: exactly – just because the system isn’t perfect doesn’t mean you drop out of it completely.
gramps: I did? YAY! You’re welcome.
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Are you going to let us in on who pissed you off and got you started on this one? :angel:
Excellent post, Britt. Excellent!!
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I Know, Britt, anything run by man is bound to be screwy. Why I said, wish we could take the best ideas from both countries and discard the crap.
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Great post, Britt. I’m glad you put it out there. I vote and this year I’m following the process more closely than ever!
PS: You’re so sexy when you’re fired up and political! :rock:
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You are so right. At this point I ALMOST think anything is better than who we have now and that’s sad and apathetic.
People get pissed at me because I completely ignore Republicans and vote Democrat, because as a woman, and a person who is enviromentally concious, and as a person who has been very poor, that’s who has the ideas I prefer. It’s as simple as that. Black and white to me.
Decide what major issues are EXTREMELY important to you and it’s less confusing.
Oh and I’m sorry, butleave religion or lack thereof out of it. When was the last time YOU had to report your religious beliefs on your job application?
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I am another one of the “if you don’t vote, you can’t complain” campers. I don’t understand people who say that it doesn’t matter. It does matter! That vote that you didn’t cast could have been the one vote that was needed to push an election in the direction you wanted it to go. Okay maybe not, but that’s what I tell the people who don’t vote. I get really mad at people who refuse to vote but then get pissed off when the government passes a law that they don’t like. It’s right up there with people who get all huffy about having to pay taxes and then bitch that the roads are terrible.
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I always say that if you don’t vote you lose your right to bitch!! I just am not paying too close attention yet… It would just give me a headache…. In a few months it will be all that is on TV anyhow…….
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The people I can’t stand are the people who bitch and moan that they don’t like the state of our country but aren’t willing to get involved to change it.
At least register to vote.
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(New fan waving to you from 10 minutes north of Orlando.)
GREAT STUFF HERE. And welcome to my Wonderful World of Cymbalta.
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AmyD: actually… honestly? BPR said something about politics being boring on Avitable’s blog – but she’s Canadian, so that’s not exactly the same thing. LOL But it made me think about all the people who respond that way who are American.
Momma: throw in a few good ideas from across the pond too while we’re at it and I think you’re on to something.
metalmom: heh, well thank you :blush:
annie: actually, that tends to be how I am too. I grew up on Welfare. We didn’t abuse it – it saved our fucking lives and gave my brothers and I a future we wouldn’t have had otherwise.
I’m not completely opposed to voting for the “right” Republican, but knowing WHY I’m typically a Democrat gives me a good place to start and hedges my bets, so to speak.
Erin: exactly, exactly.
themuttprincess: honestly, I only recently started to REALLY pay attention too. I figure I don’t waste my time pinning my hopes on the guy that ends up dropping out anyway.
Lisa: which, heh, I still need to do here.
Little Miss Sunshine State: well hello fellow transplant! :wave:
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Thanks Britt!
Just one thing to add here.. get past the sound bites, commercials, and who the media seems to love this minute. Find out who stands for what you believe in. At least in the primaries, we can vote for our ideals, more or less.
I didn’t do the candidates quiz thingy, but I will say that Edwards speaks for me.
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Hi Mom!
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Don’t be too hard on BPR, because politics in Canada IS boring. But, doesn’t mean we don’t vote our concience, even though we never get to vote on issues. NEVER. And our representatives have to vote the party line, so they can’t vote the way we want them to either. Even when we feel the gov’t is in the pocket of big buisiness or the oil company (which I think they are…we are an oil producing country yet we pay more than you do for gasoline from here)we have an obligation to vote….or we SHUT UP
US politics is Anything but boring. I cannot stop watching it. Mind you, that’s all that’s on the news anyway, no matter which country we live in.
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Hey, Dee
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davido: yeah, I don’t think listening to the TV counts as getting “informed”.
DeannaBanana: ahem – and HELLO to you too!
Momma: Oh no, not at all. I don’t blame BPR for not being interested in a post about our politics as a Canadian! But it was her comment that lit the spark and got me thinking about the people here who are “bored” or think it shouldn’t be talked about.
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Wow I am sooooooooo turned on right now! Actually I was this passionate 8 years ago and considered a raving lunatic by all the other rednecks here in Oklahoma (Votes all Republican every year since 1968!) so that by this year… I Don’t want to care! I don’t want to go nuts thinking about Valerie Plame, and falsified evidence, and waterboarding and wiretapping and did you read today that if you take a laptop on an airplane, security now has the right to search your files?!! What the fuck?!! What about just cause??
No I don’t want to be that guy anymore… the ranting and raving lunatic who sees the end of the world every time the Neo-Cons win another victory over civil liberties. Like Erick Cartman and Cindy Sheehan before me, I am simply saying, “Fuck you guys! I’m going home.”
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OK, I have been lurking over here for months and this post has compelled to delurk to say the following:
WORD!
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Oh, this should be printed up and posted on lampposts all over the US and the UK… get enough people voting and the right person will be chosen…
Britt, seriously amazing you are.
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Wow Britt, I’m not even American and I feel like I should vote now.
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VERY well said. This smilie reminds me of Nixon. Haha :nana: I am not a crook!
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I wish I could, but I don’t think a DUTCHBitch’s vote would make alotta difference in the US…
I mean, for God’s sake, WE have a prime minister who resembles Harry Potter (in physique)… We tried to get rid of him 3 times… didn’t work yet…
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Y2K Survivor: I think we lost a lot of good people 8 years ago. People who were flabbergasted that their votes DIDN’T count, that they could just be ignored.
The good people need to stop walking away. We need to dig in our heels and fight HARDER.
We need to have more stamina and determination than they do.
Mrs. G.: :wave: well hello!
Bec: :blush: thanks babe. If only it would make that much of a difference, that would be awesome.
Princess: *sigh* another Canadian. I’m thinking we should start busing you guys down here for elections or something! LOL
Sybil Law: thanks
I’d never looked at that smiley that way before…
DutchBitch: well come on over and try, just to see. And if it doesn’t – at least you got to visit!!!
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yup,
another Canadian….. heheheh….. You have no idea how many of us are running around in your country. We look and sound just like you (eh). Sorta like “Men in Black”
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Hi Miss Britt,
I found your blog thru BottleBlonde…love it! Where have you been all my life?
You are so spot on. We should care because our freedom is being protected by men and women dying in Iraq right now. Hopefully no one will be able to hijack this election (like the last Bush travesty). Regardless, our voices count! And your voice is cool and makes a lot of sense.
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I was just getting my arms around people might vote different than me. Then they started talking about breast-reduction :what:
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I mean, I try to keep an open mind, but that’s where I draw the line.
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Hi, I’m new. This post is great–but I’m way disturbed that when I took my “test,” 12% of me supports Fred Thompson. Maybe some cleansing is in order today.
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“But look at the world today and how different
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“But look at the world today and how much different is is from eight years ago. Good, bad or otherwsie – it does make a difference.”
Well written and a cry in the wilderness that I hope will echo in the voting booths on November 8th. Yes…be informed…care enough to speak your conscience when it comes time to pull that lever where in that one dedicated act may indeed change our world one vote at a time.
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BRAVO! :clap:
I don’t discuss politics a lot because it makes my blood pressure rise but i guess I’ve been sucked back in.
My show on Sunday was a ton of fun –yes we made politics fun and not too stooopid.
Sugar be sure to join in next week!
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This is one of the best posts you’ve ever written. I believe a single vote can make a difference but I believe it more strongly now. Very impressive piece!
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Okay, as usual I’m a day late on the best post. I simply have to put in my 2 cents anyway.
Can we please get someone to make some positive changes to the entire welfare system? My daughter (who is extremely ill and requires tons of medical care) is on disability and we also get food stamps. We can’t make it on what she gets, but if I work we lose all of our assistance. I’m also in college trying to get my nursing degree. Her prescriptions alone run over $1000 a month when she’s healthy. Even if I could find a PT job with benefits the copays would kill me.
Why does the government want me to stay on assistance? It is almost like you are punished for trying to better yourself. It is actually easier to just take a check every month. That’s sad and needs to be changed.
Sorry rant over :blush:
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Momma: it’s part of your evil plan, I just know it!!
Cynic: :wave: well, welcome!
jflins: I always have a hard time with the idea that someone would vote different than me.
Sarah is Ok: meh, it’s 12%! LOL
Anonymous: thanks for coming by and adding your voice.
turnbaby: I’ll definitely try and be there – if you promise to call me sugar!
Selma: coming from you, that means a lot.
Gabrielle: I agree 150%. Having watched my mom battle that line when I was younger, I think people don’t realize how difficult it is to get OFF the system – even if you really, really want to.
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I came on over by way of Turnbaby…wow…you go girl~! :clap:
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I was anonymous above…sorry ’bout that.
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Babe.. I’m Canadian :cold: and I’ve been paying attention.
Glad I stopped in.
Well done.
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