Hatrack River Forum: Despite the Election, Life Goes On

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Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

Let's get this out of the way first:

I voted for Kerry.

I could give a hundred reasons why and a hundred reasons why the vote was tenuous, but, just the same, it was my one vote and I cast it.

Today, I awoke to the fact that Bush won the election. It wasn't as close electorally as Bush/Gore was. And Bush also won the popular vote.

I had hoped to see some kind of change, but it didn't happen. The majority of my fellow citizens felt differently.

So today, I'm going on with my life. A shrug and a realization that in a democracy, there is always a chance that the side you voted for won't win.

I figure that tomorrow is still going to happen, and the day after that. And that the happiness and success of myself and my family will deal much more greatly with my own actions that those of whoever happens to be in the White House.

My self worth won't be decided by the election. My own commitment to certain ideals won't be changed by the ballot counts. My hope for a better day for all of us will continue to beat in my chest.

But I may also take it on my shoulders and say that if I feel the current administration will make things more difficult for some, then I can do what I feel I can to help those folks out. I can donate some of my money to relief efforts. I can try to find job opportunities for folks who don't have them now. I can make sure that gay friends and family members know that I love them for who they are and make sure that I don't restrict them from any liberty that I choose to take.

I can also say to the losing party for whom I barely cast my vote for: You almost lost me this year. You lost a lot of folks like me. Think about how important our votes have been and could have been. Will you run farther away from me and mine, or will you stop heading in directions we're not quite willing to follow you to?

But all in all, my side lost. I am not packing my bags and moving to Canada. I am not contributing to legal funds to challenge votes honestly cast. I won't keep telling myself I live in a divided nation.

I know this isn't 1860 or even 1968. We are not as divided as they want us to believe. We're all Americans and we turned out in droves, historic ones, to exercise our right to vote.

I won't cuss, scream and sulk about the results. I'll take some pride that we all thought that our right to vote was important enough to exercise it. And I'll accept the results like an adult should and go on with my life.

I won't cast a baleful eye to those in power, I'll just keep the same watchful eye on them that we, as Americans, should always do, no matter who is in power.

[ November 03, 2004, 09:30 AM: Message edited by: Sopwith ]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

quote:
I won't cuss, scream and sulk about the results

And I admire and respect you the more for this...

[Hat]

Farmgirl

Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :

Hmmf. My post on the same theme had a Kipling poem in it. So it was superior by definition. [Grumble]

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

Except for the penalty points it got from being written by you.... [Evil]

Also, he is saying what he is going to do about it, not telling others what he thinks they should do.

There is a difference.

Kwea

[ November 03, 2004, 09:51 AM: Message edited by: Kwea ]

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

[Hail]

sopwith

AJ

Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :

First of all, praises to Sop for so wonderfully expressing rational thought. [Smile]

Today, I will wake up and go to class. Nothing will be any different from yesterday.

Tomorrow will be the same.

So will next Tuesday, for that matter.

I, too, will continue my beliefs. They will not change.

And then I'll start planning my 2020 campaign. [Wink]

Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

Perhaps I felt that a century-old quote from a British writer might have been a bit inappropriate in this particular instance? [Wink]

(I am a fan of Kipling, btw.)

[ November 03, 2004, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Sopwith ]

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

I liked KoM's quote, but that doesn't mean I will refrain from mocking him about it.. [Razz]

[ November 03, 2004, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Kwea ]