Today was election day in Chicago. According to the Chicago Tribune’s latest report, voter turnout was about 40-45%. This, the article states, is not quite the 50% we were aiming for, but is better than the usual 33% (for municipal elections).
It’s a sad day when people are excited about the possibility of a 50% voter turnout. I know that voting for aldermen and water reclamation people may not be as glamorous as the President of the United States or even Governor or Congressman…but really?
Having grown up in Chicago and witnessed the machine politics of the 80s, I can think of many more productive things to do than vote for the lesser of x amount of evils. To be perfectly honest, I doubt that my vote ever really counts. However, my main motivation for voting is that somebody was degraded, beaten, spit on or killed while fighting for my right to vote. To not exercise that right would be like spitting in the face of those who came before me.
When we also consider that there are people around the world who are literally fighting and dying for a democratic voting process, well…I’m not gonna get too comfortable on my soapbox tonight, but you know where I’m going with that.
I’m disappointed in Chicago, I really am. Shame on us.