Voting Isn't Cool
So today Rock the Vote put out a video featuring Lil Jon rapping, Lena Dunham dancing without pants on for "reproductive rights", and various other celebrities sharing their liberal reasons to vote.
As I said on facebook:
I doubt I can respond better than David Burge:
Maybe it's hard for me to relate. I was raised by James and Carol Beard, not MTV. James and Carol discussed economic and foreign policy issues with me at the dinner table. MTV played music videos (they still did that a little in the 90s). James and Carol took me when I was little when they voted. MTV had Puffy telling me if I don't vote I'll die. (That link is NSFW)
Obviously I'll be accused of voter suppression by making this kind of statement, but that's of course ridiculous. I don't support a test to pass to vote. Voting is a basic human right. But it's a right taken all too lightly. And if someone managed to turn 18 without a shred of interest in having a say in how their country, state, or local municipality is run, then let them be. One day they will see things around them that piss them off and they'll decide to do something about it, whether it involves registering to vote or not.
But if that person is convinced that voting can be described as "cool" or "sexy" I'm thinking I'd rather them sit this election out. I don't want a higher percentage of the population voting. I want a higher percentage of the population educated. If that happens, we can talk about "turning up."
As I said on facebook:
If a rap video about voting featuring celebrities dancing around convinces you to vote...I stand by that.
maybe you shouldn't vote.
I doubt I can respond better than David Burge:
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| Sorry for the PhotoShop. Apparently I don't know how to embed Tweets. |
Maybe it's hard for me to relate. I was raised by James and Carol Beard, not MTV. James and Carol discussed economic and foreign policy issues with me at the dinner table. MTV played music videos (they still did that a little in the 90s). James and Carol took me when I was little when they voted. MTV had Puffy telling me if I don't vote I'll die. (That link is NSFW)
Obviously I'll be accused of voter suppression by making this kind of statement, but that's of course ridiculous. I don't support a test to pass to vote. Voting is a basic human right. But it's a right taken all too lightly. And if someone managed to turn 18 without a shred of interest in having a say in how their country, state, or local municipality is run, then let them be. One day they will see things around them that piss them off and they'll decide to do something about it, whether it involves registering to vote or not.
But if that person is convinced that voting can be described as "cool" or "sexy" I'm thinking I'd rather them sit this election out. I don't want a higher percentage of the population voting. I want a higher percentage of the population educated. If that happens, we can talk about "turning up."
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