Wednes Writes, about the Right to vote.

[wednes]

Let me begin by saying that the election results are great. I'm excited for a minimum wage increase, although it's not gonna do me much good until I actually find a job. Because all wages will go up in the process--maybe not as much as they should, but they'll go up.

What I want to mention though, is the vitriol I'm hearing toward people who choose not to vote. It was all over the TV (even Mtv), all over my flist, and the internets in general. Apparently you suck, you should be ashamed of yourself, and you have no right to be dissatisfied with the current regime if you did not vote.
I don't mind telling you that I think all that is bullshit.
And as I was just saying yesterday, that attitude further divides and polarizes us as Americans.

1. People who are not informed on the issues should not vote. In fact, they are largely responsible for fucking things up. And by "informed" I don't mean that you've seen all the ads. I mean informed by non-partisan information, or at least all the varied partisan info you can find.

2. A right is not the same as an obligation. Voting is a personal choice, like having an abortion or coming out. The real trouble begins when we start telling others that they need to do what we do, because we're totally right and they're totally wrong. People, why do I even need to explain this? And yeah, it's probably true that plenty of people are too apathetic, frustrated, or plain lazy to vote. And you know what? That's none of anyone else's business. Just do your thing and stay out of my beeswax!

3. I did happen to vote, since the Dick DeVos people were giving out rides to the old and/or lazy...and me. FYI, I did not, nor would I ever have, voted for Dick DeVos. In fact, here's a not-so loving good bye to DeVos, Rick Santorum (I shall miss mocking you, sir), Donald "Rummy" Rumsfeld, and the scores of other fascists I'm forgetting. *waves with cupped hand like in the parade*

4. We should try not to hate people who disagree. I have as much trouble trying to reasonably disagree as many of you, but that really should be our goal. I oppose affirmative action, and I've found very few people who can respectfully disagree with me. I've been called every kind of rascist, conservative, bigot in the world. But you know what? Bill Clinton doesn't support it either, and he's awesome. Bush supporters make me mad and frustrated as hell, but hating them just takes up too much of my day, seriously.

5. I find it difficult to argue the point that voting is just a game straight, white, christian, land owning males play with eachother in order to fool the proles (that's us) into thinking we have some input on this shit. Why aren't we voting on where to spend taxes where it counts? Why don't we have legal pot and national healthcare? Because no one gives a damn what the average citizen needs or wants. We stood by helplessly while a man most of us didn't vote for destroyed our woldwide credibility, ignored americans during life threatening crises, and feigned ignorance before the world about what is and is not torture. There was nothing we could do about it, because we have no power. And that's with me voting every time...
So I can see where people are coming from when they make their choice not to vote.

Comments

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Okay...and what about those of us who did vote and are still powerless? Or is that why voters are supposed to look down on non-voters the same way Christians look down on non-christians?

I just don't see why the issue has to create such animosity.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

People who voted but still feel they need to get their message across could write letters to the politicians that represent them. They could support political organizations, or join together with other like-minded people and form new organizations. Through an organized effort they could pressure politicians into addressing their grievances.

This issue doesn't have to create animosity. I don't even understand why you would say that.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

Well, the post was about the animosity of the issue of whether or not to vote. I thought it was clear.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why you chose to say that in that comment. It wasn't in reply to anything I said, nor did it seem to be relevent to the portion of your post that I was commenting on.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize I had to restict my comments in the way you describe.

But while I have your attention, I've recently been told that Honore wants apple pie for her birthday. I imagine you have a recipe that will be helpful to me, yes?

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

You don't have to restric your comments, and I didn't say that you did. I just didn't understand(and still don't) why you made the comment. So I stated that I didn't understand why you made the comment.

I don't use a recipe per say. I use the Better homes and gardens recipe and make modifications as I see fit. Like I never measure anything accurately, even when I should.

Here is the recipe.

Crust (double for covered pie of course)
1.25 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt (I generally leave this out and no one has ever noticed or complained)
1/3 cup shortening (I use butter flavored crisco, Alton brown as you probably know suggests using half lard and half butter)
4-5 tablespoons of water

6 cups apples or 2.25lbs (I eyeball the apples, 8 if they are small 4 if 6 if they are large. When in doubt use another apple)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)(I only did this when we were at my parents because they keep fresh lemons around.)
0.75 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
0.125 teaspoons ground nutmeg

I never measure the spices and often throw in cloves because I like them. I also use the cinnamon liberally, but you've probably noticed that.

Some of the modifications I often do are dumping a bunch of raisins in the spice mix before I start adding the apples. A friend of mine suggests soaking the the raisins in rum for 24 hours or more. I prefer a crumb crust. This recipe says to cover the edge of the pie with foil for the first 40 minutes and then to remove it for an additional 20 keeping the oven at 375. But my mother's book from 30 years ago doesn't say anything about foil, it just says 60 minutes at 375.

Crumb crust
0.5 cup flour
0.5 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter

Cut it together like you would a normal pie crust and sprinkle it evenly over the surface before baking.

I use 4 tablespoons of butter and add cinnamon by eye. I also recomend that 10 minutes before you take the pie out that you use a spray bottle to mist the crumb crust. Otherwise it can be a little powdery. Too much misting and it becomes more like frosting.

I left out a bunch of instructions because I assume that you know how to make an apple pie.

[wednes.livejournal.com]

I'm much better at cooking than baking, but I'll give it a whirl.

I may end up cheating and buying a crust though. I'd hate to screw it up and have no pie for her--it does look simple enough though.

Are we getting together tomorrow?
I get paid and will need to order a pizza.

As to my specific comment, I was saying that even if people disagree on the issue that there needn't be so much animosity. The whole point of the post was on animosoty between voters and non voters, and it's polarizing and negative effects.

[nate101000.livejournal.com]

I don't even see them as two different things. I think of baking as a form of cooking.

The crust really is the hardest part. I might buy crusts this year. They sell them all rolled out and everything between waxed paper. At least they used to.

Kim assumed we were getting together tomorrow. I can't cover any pizza in advance so maybe you should come out. We'll figure something out.

Our political system seems to encourage polarization. It sucks. I also think there is something in human nature that polarizes people.