Polls vs. Absentee

In the day and age where everything is turning toward Absentee balloting instead of people going to the polls, I am proud to say that I am one of the few who still enjoys going to the polls! Yes, Absentee balloting makes it more convenient for more people to vote, there is just something about going to the polls. It's the community showing up to do something, make their voice be heard.
But above all, I had an amazing experience this year at the polls. There was a teenager who showed up to vote for the first time. After now voting in my 4th Presidential election, it was great seeing someone show up excited and nervous both that the same time. I was in line behind this young woman, waiting for the one electronic booths (for as much as everyone hates these things, I love them! I'm a button pusher to begin with. And I know my vote will count right away because it's already in the system counted when the polls close). I got to tell her my secret of quick voting by making all my decisions at home with the voter's pamphlet, that way all I have to do when I show up to vote is check the boxes I want and in less than five minutes be on my way. She was interested in this and told me that she wanted to that but she didn't know what she was voting for. When she asked her mother, she didn't know either, and her mother's response was just to do her best. So while we were waiting in line, I told the young woman what all the codes and numbers on her voter's card meant. So now, the next time there is an election, this young woman will know exactly what she will be voting for before she goes to the polls. Who knows, maybe she will pass that information on to her mother. It's things like this that makes community so very important! When the community comes together and do things together, information gets passed around so that everyone becomes more educated. It does not matter as much as what a person is convicted to believe and vote--not everyone believes the same thing. But it's important that everyone knows everything in a timely manner to make the best decision for themselves. And I was excited to be a part of that!

I'll be the first to admit that I was one of those voters who did not know until the night before who they would vote for President. Early on in the campaign, I preferred Obama. Then there were the Presidential debates and the VP debate. The more that I learned about the candidates' opinions and pet projects/policies I began to watch them and how they answered the questions. That was what kept me in the middle of indecision for so long. And I was disappointed when Obama finally answered the bating question of McCain--what is the fine for not being (health)insured. Obama finally answered that Joe the Plumber would not be fined a single cent. What kind of fine is that! It screamed with indecision and placation for the vote! Obama said that Joe the Plumber would not be fined because he fell under the $250,000 mark. The problem with that is that Obama was wrong. On a news report on TV, interviewing Joe the Plumber, Joe told America that the business he wanted to buy was $260,000. That's well above Obama's mark. Now either Obama was misinformed and guilty of not doing proper research to make his points. Or under Obama we will once again have many forms of relief for the "wealthy" (over the mark). There are many policies that Obama has in mind that I disagree with. And health care is one of them, if not the number one. I think it is the greatest travesty to have the government controlling health care. It has not answered the issues in other countries (Canada and Europe) who have installed such measures themselves. Neither does it give the doctors that we train in the states, the incentive to stay in country for their practices. I am sad to say that most of our talented (new and upcoming) doctors will be going overseas where they have better incentives. But I'm going to stop here. The lessons I have been recently been teaching my Sunday School students have been respecting those in authority. Obama is our newly elected President and I find myself on a fine line of not being all together respectful. But you can rest assure that I will not stand quietly for policies that I do not agree with. Thank God we live in a democratic country where the voice of the people are still heard. I greatly dislike it when the House, Senate, and President are all from the same Party, because they will always do great damage--whether Republican or Democratical. I pray that our representatives continue to listen to their constituents even though there is not another election for two years. Don't get me wrong. I am not disappointed in the presidential race (seeing how I wasn't clearly one way or the other). I think it is way past time for a black man to become president. (It's past time for women and other minorities to be president as well.) The US is far behind in countries being led by a diverse group of people. It is history in the making. I am just fed up with the government screwing everything up for the people, carelessly spending money, and not being held accountable for anything by anyone. There is not a political party that can answer this woe. We need a collection of people with integrity running in offices. I am just patriotic and want what's best for the people!!! It's time for the government to work for the people, rather than the government running the people.