A Greater Society?

I was bothered yesterday when I found out that my co-worker didn't vote. Her reasoning was that the election was too racially charged and that she didn't feel it would have any impact on her daily life. Well, though both of those may be true, to me, they are not good reasons. You don't just vote for you, you vote for the nation. She believes that most who voted, voted only on race. She said that she talked to people who voted for Obama just because they were black.

This is true; there were many black voters who voted for him just because he was black. I've heard them in the street and on the bus. I actually overheard part of a conversation while walking, where a black woman said she voted for Obama because he was black and nothing else. However, she didn't come across as a regular voter, or the most educated voter. Rather, it seemed, she saw an opportunity and pounced on it - but without taking the time to learn about the man. But statistics say that had she been educated and voted regularly, she still would have voted for Obama - because he was a democrat.

The numbers say Barack Obama garnered over 90% of the votes of black voters. However, as my fiancee' pointed out, democrats have garnered at or near 90% of black votes since the 1970's. Obama is a democrat. Surprise, surprise. So, his being black is ultimately a bonus - not a reason.

The other reasons my co-worker gave for not voting were that she didn't feel it would have a practical effect on her life, and that politics don't interest her. In addition, she didn't live during the civil rights period, so she didn't have any connection to the history being made. Well, on the last point, I made a similar argument on this blog. However, my argument didn't cite that as a reason not to vote. Furthermore, my argument on that point was critical of young hip-hoppers who have exploited street culture, giving it synonymy with black culture, then claiming they did something great when they had nothing to do with Obama's election - in terms of their similarities of view and lifestyle.

On her first point about practicality in her life, my response to that is, what about the future of her children? It will have a practical effect in their daily lives. It will have a practical effect on whether they get to go to college affordably, buy or rent a home affordably, and on even smaller things like whether they can grocery shop affordably.

Granted, I also made the argument that I don't know that Obama's presidency will have an effect on my daily life practically - but I know it may have enough of an overall effect on the nation that I still voted. I didn't just vote for me, I voted for the nation.

I'm not trying to make the argument that I'm better than her because I voted and she didn't. In fact, I don't believe that, and couldn't care less about who's the better person, because neither of us is better than the other. I'm only expressing my annoyance that someone takes no part in the political process, then complains that things never change. My co-worker mentioned that politics do not interest her, but you don't have to have an interest in politics and follow 24 hour news coverage to cast a vote for what you feel will be a good leader. It's true; one vote doesn't make a difference - but all of those "one votes" add up - and that's where the difference is made.

I wholeheartedly believe that the same negative and divisive politics, as well as world strife and tension, war, famine, oppression, etc., will continue as long as humans are able to continue it. My fiancee' and I had an argument about this. She believes otherwise. But what we both agree on is that you can say nothing to complain about it if you do absolutely nothing as it happens. So why try to change things if you believe they won't? Because the difference ultimately lies in your character as a person, not in the change you failed to effect. And as long as you're trying, you may be surprised that you actually win sometimes.

I was at a family dinner with my fiancee' and my immediate family, when a man collapsed unconscious at a nearby table. He was at dinner with his wife and two other couples. The two other men informed all at the restaurant that they were "doctors". A couple of people jumped up to help, but they were told by the two doctors to not bother. The "doctors" also told the staff not to bother calling the paramedics. They were told that "he does this all the time". The people returned to their dinners. The staff, though attentive, returned to work. After a minute or two of the two doctors failing to wake their friend, I decided to tell the staff to call the paramedics anyway, and they did so. The "doctors", unbelievably, were not too pleased with me. Before the paramedics finally arrived, the unconscious doctor finally woke up, but was dazed and confused, and they ultimately made use of the paramedics' stretcher to wheel him out,if nothing else.

Beyond the use of the stretcher, I don't know if the paramedics were sent on their merry way when they got outside, or if they ultimately took the formerly unconscious doctor to the hospital. Clearly, if he passed out like that "all the time", he had a pre-existing condition and I'm sure his friends and wife knew of it. Still, had this been something different, or an escalation in his condition, and I somehow found out later that the man had died, I would not have been able to live with myself. It's not enough, to me, that I am "off the hook" because the "doctors" told me not to call the paramedics. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not off the hook, because if something had happened to him and I may have been able to help but did nothing, then I failed to act, regardless of what the "doctors" said.

"It happens all the time" is no excuse not to act. Women are raped all the time. Children are kidnapped all the time. Police brutality happens all the time. Should we not act when we happen upon those instances? A woman raped in Kansas, a child kidnapped in Florida and a police beating in California have no immediate impact on me. But if I had the chance to vote for a law against it, should I not? And what if the time came when it did affect me? I would like to know that I tried something to prevent it. This is what is necessary to strive toward a great (or greater) society.

What's the difference if you vote and nothing changes? What's the difference if you support a law banning or supporting stem cell research? What's the difference if you pull a violent man off of a screaming woman and he gets no jail time anyway?

The difference is you.