I start to wonder, am I the only person happy that people actually voted?

I start to wonder, am I the only person happy that people actually voted? - Chronarchy

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November 3rd, 2004

12:01 pm - I start to wonder, am I the only person happy that people actually voted?
I've seen some frustration. You know, just a little. But me, I'm an eternal optimist, and so I have something to share.

Warning, you might not like what I say, because I'm not feeling defeated today. I'm feeling that, for better or worse, a bunch of people voted, and said what they wanted.

Now, that brings me to something else:

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Today, I thought about these as I watched the presidential election go. I sat, sometimes happy, sometimes in abject terror. Today, these commandments really speak to me. They call out to me in a strange way that just seems wrong. It's amusing.

I've watched people's reactions. They're hurt and angry that the country chose Bush. They don't understand. I refer to commandment one above.

They worked hard, fought hard, and still lost. I refer them to commandment 2.

They were riding high, but feel betrayed by the Youth Vote, or the electoral college. I refer them to number 3.

They want to run away to Canada and forget about the past. I refer them to number four.

They are angry that they put their integrity on the line and were shot down. I refer them to commandment five.

They call their opponents "small minded". I refer them to 6.

They believe that the underdog should have won. I refer to number seven.

They believe everything is destroyed. I refer to number 8.

They have worked to help everything abd been bitten. I refer to number nine.

They have given it all, and now they have no teeth left to be kicked. I refer them to commandment 10.

===

Look, there's a lot left to do. Let's start today, alright? Not in three years.

Besides, you can't go to Canada, anyway.
Current Mood:

optimistic
Current Music: "Stars on the Water", -JB

Tags: activism, voting

(17 comments Leave a comment)

Comments:

From:	odinkar
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 12:30 pm (UTC)

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About the going to Canada part...

That's unless you have an under-handed ploy to take Graduate courses in Canada. It's much easier to get a student visa than immigrate, heh heh.

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From:	capriciouslass
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 12:36 pm (UTC)

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Besides, you can't go to Canada, anyway.

Actually, I have a dual citizenship (US and Canada), plus a gaggle of relatives in Canada. I think I'd have no trouble emigrating. That doesn't mean that I have any intention to, it's just easier for some.

(Reply) (Thread)

From:	anarchys_savior
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 01:03 pm (UTC)

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I'm not so much upset at the fact that Bush won as I am that the whole nation is now Republican. The Senate is now overwhelmingly Republican, the liberal(I think he's liberal) Supreme Court Justice is about to croak and be replaced by a conservative judge, and the majority of the nation thinks this is all how it should be. It's quite depressing.

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From:	mmefrufru
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 01:44 pm (UTC)

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Haven't commented on your stuff in a while, but I thought this was a good post. But I'll probably still be upset and outraged anyway for a little while. :(

(Reply) (Thread)

From:	chronarchy
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 02:00 pm (UTC)

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Thanks. I wrote it, and then realized how proud I was of it.

You've got just as much right to be outraged as I do to be optomistic. It's important to have some feeling.

Helloooooo nurse!

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From:	mmefrufru
Date:	November 8th, 2004 12:22 pm (UTC)

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Good point. I'd rather feel something to an extreme, right or wrong, than be devoid of emotion whatsoever.

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(Deleted comment)

From:	rfunk
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 03:42 pm (UTC)

"severe minority"

(Link)

51-48 or so isn't a severe minority at all, despite the right's attempts to portray it as such. It's a split nation -- who wins comes down to who turns out to vote, who's allowed to vote, and whose votes are counted.

Although I'm sure that the election was fixed to some extent, I'm not sure if that's what made the difference, nor am I confident of evidence coming out or anything happening if it does.

At this point I just feel like hunkering down for a while.

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From:	fred_smith
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 03:52 pm (UTC)

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Canada? Canada! Democrats should be coming over here, and fast. Right. Thats another thing I'd do if I was "King for the day" after blowing stuff up just to show that I can. Good job I'm not in charge today.

(Reply) (Thread)

From:	duriyah
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 03:52 pm (UTC)

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That is a fantastic post, and exactly what I wanted to hear right now!

Thank you.

You are right...we should celebrate because so many people voted. The more people who are involved, and the more they are involved, the more likely it is that they will wake up. And the better it will be for our country in the long run.

(Reply) (Thread)

From:	uberrod
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 06:15 pm (UTC)

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I'm happy people voted. Sure, Bush is back in office, but I was really glad that there was such a big turn out. Voting is a sacred civil duty and is important. Sure you are just one small voice in a big sea, but at least you are participating and that's the most important thing.

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From:	aicerno
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 06:26 pm (UTC)

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I like those rules, can I pass them on?

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From:	rfunk
Date:	November 3rd, 2004 08:51 pm (UTC)

rules

(Link)

I did, but if you want to be safe maybe you'd better ask paradoxicalcommandments.com.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From:	chronarchy
Date:	November 4th, 2004 05:12 am (UTC)

Re: rules

(Link)

*grins* that's what I get for answering via email, instead of reading through LJ what the responses are. :)

But I do think that he'd make an excellent Discordian.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)

From:	chronarchy
Date:	November 4th, 2004 05:04 am (UTC)

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I didn't write them. I assume it was some random Discrodian, but I haven't looked up the name, so I could be wrong. Either way, I assume kopyleft is in effect :)

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