Having a heck of a hard time getting out this 'Burn Out' funk. Thank you for coming back anyway, I appreciate my readers.
Three days post election and I'm dealing with "funk" of a different kind as well. As I stated in my last post I wasn't comfortable with either candidate. So before I voted, I spent several hours pouring over our nations Constitution, the platforms of each candidate and even on my knees in prayer. I walked to my polling station and stood 19th in a long and ever growing line to wait my turn. The process complete, home and on with my day. I was anxious over this particular election in a way I have never been before. I watched the clock. As the polling stations closed on the east coast and began counting ballots, my daughter had to set some limits on how often (before that I was out of my seat every five minutes) I was going to check the election updates. Fine, even grow-ups need a little help being grown-up sometimes.
What I learned that night has shaken me pretty badly and causes me to rethink some things that were basic and sound in how I feel/felt about this country and my place in it. I explain; before the night of November 6th 2012, I had a disturbing lack of knowlege about this country's Electoral Voting process. I was basically ignorant about it. Hours into the election I noticed something was off, waaaayyyy off. There were states registering their electoral vote before even 32% of that states ballots had even been counted - WHAT!? HOW CAN YOU DECLARE A WIN FOR EITHER CANDIDATE IN A STATE WITHOUT COUNTING ALL THE BALLOTS??!! I didn't understand this. I hit the internet and began researching this ridiculous thing called Electoral College Vote (hereafter represented as EV). Understanding only lead to outrage. The system is too complicated to explain precisely in 1,000 words or less so I won't, if you feel the need to know for yourself, you can find the same information at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html What mattered to me, and STILL matters is - MY VOTE DIDN'T COUNT - I needn't have bothered watching debates, reading updates, trying to understand candidate platforms. My vote wasn't going to count anyway! Only in 'swing states' or states allowed to vote by popular count, would a vote count. My states EV's have to vote party, not popular. My states EV votes were declared before 25% of our total states the ballots were even counted. I felt betrayed. I was enraged. Was this democracy? Not my idea of democracy. Of course its my own fault I never understood this before, but guess what? Nearly 100% of the people - and there have been a lot from bank tellers to grocery clerks, to friends - I've asked the question of "Do you understand this nations EV process'?", nearly 100% of them said NO! They also were unaware their votes didn't count either. This process is not explained to people who immigrate here. The high schools only touch on it without fully explaining it so unless you go searching for this information you'll never know it.
I did some more research to see what needs to happen to change this process and has anyone ever tried, what I learned only fueled my four alarm fire to a nearly out of control fire. Apparently THREE times in the past 35 years, the American people have appealed to Congress to get rid of the EV or at least alter it so represented the popluar vote. The first time Congress was asked, 61% of the population supported change. The second time Congress was asked, 74% of us wanted the change and the last time Congress was asked 91% of the American people wanted it gone - NINETY ONE PERCENT!!! Congress wouldn't even look at it or present it to the states for their ratification!!! That's not government by the people for the people - that's CRAP! My happy little "Glad to be an American" bubble was burst. What remains is a shambles of a structure I once thought I had. I am terribly unsettled. So here I sit, on my bare idiotic butt after having had my feet knocked out from under me. Any foundation I thought I had is too shaky to stand on at this point.
The only solace I've found in the last few days is in knowing my vote, and everyone elses, counted on the state level. On the state level I can say we have democracy. And for that I am grateful.
As for the outcome of the presidential election, I am unhappy. But I would have been unhappy either way. At least with Romney I would have felt safe and had more hope. Now I feel nothing but fear and apprehension when I comes to where this country stands. I've never felt more vulnerable as an American as I do right now with Obama in office. And this is where I leave this post as I do not wish to make this forum for politics.
However, if anyone knows of, or hears of a movement to ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE, please let me know! I want a front row seat in that deal!!!
Three days post election and I'm dealing with "funk" of a different kind as well. As I stated in my last post I wasn't comfortable with either candidate. So before I voted, I spent several hours pouring over our nations Constitution, the platforms of each candidate and even on my knees in prayer. I walked to my polling station and stood 19th in a long and ever growing line to wait my turn. The process complete, home and on with my day. I was anxious over this particular election in a way I have never been before. I watched the clock. As the polling stations closed on the east coast and began counting ballots, my daughter had to set some limits on how often (before that I was out of my seat every five minutes) I was going to check the election updates. Fine, even grow-ups need a little help being grown-up sometimes.
What I learned that night has shaken me pretty badly and causes me to rethink some things that were basic and sound in how I feel/felt about this country and my place in it. I explain; before the night of November 6th 2012, I had a disturbing lack of knowlege about this country's Electoral Voting process. I was basically ignorant about it. Hours into the election I noticed something was off, waaaayyyy off. There were states registering their electoral vote before even 32% of that states ballots had even been counted - WHAT!? HOW CAN YOU DECLARE A WIN FOR EITHER CANDIDATE IN A STATE WITHOUT COUNTING ALL THE BALLOTS??!! I didn't understand this. I hit the internet and began researching this ridiculous thing called Electoral College Vote (hereafter represented as EV). Understanding only lead to outrage. The system is too complicated to explain precisely in 1,000 words or less so I won't, if you feel the need to know for yourself, you can find the same information at http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/about.html What mattered to me, and STILL matters is - MY VOTE DIDN'T COUNT - I needn't have bothered watching debates, reading updates, trying to understand candidate platforms. My vote wasn't going to count anyway! Only in 'swing states' or states allowed to vote by popular count, would a vote count. My states EV's have to vote party, not popular. My states EV votes were declared before 25% of our total states the ballots were even counted. I felt betrayed. I was enraged. Was this democracy? Not my idea of democracy. Of course its my own fault I never understood this before, but guess what? Nearly 100% of the people - and there have been a lot from bank tellers to grocery clerks, to friends - I've asked the question of "Do you understand this nations EV process'?", nearly 100% of them said NO! They also were unaware their votes didn't count either. This process is not explained to people who immigrate here. The high schools only touch on it without fully explaining it so unless you go searching for this information you'll never know it.
I did some more research to see what needs to happen to change this process and has anyone ever tried, what I learned only fueled my four alarm fire to a nearly out of control fire. Apparently THREE times in the past 35 years, the American people have appealed to Congress to get rid of the EV or at least alter it so represented the popluar vote. The first time Congress was asked, 61% of the population supported change. The second time Congress was asked, 74% of us wanted the change and the last time Congress was asked 91% of the American people wanted it gone - NINETY ONE PERCENT!!! Congress wouldn't even look at it or present it to the states for their ratification!!! That's not government by the people for the people - that's CRAP! My happy little "Glad to be an American" bubble was burst. What remains is a shambles of a structure I once thought I had. I am terribly unsettled. So here I sit, on my bare idiotic butt after having had my feet knocked out from under me. Any foundation I thought I had is too shaky to stand on at this point.
The only solace I've found in the last few days is in knowing my vote, and everyone elses, counted on the state level. On the state level I can say we have democracy. And for that I am grateful.
As for the outcome of the presidential election, I am unhappy. But I would have been unhappy either way. At least with Romney I would have felt safe and had more hope. Now I feel nothing but fear and apprehension when I comes to where this country stands. I've never felt more vulnerable as an American as I do right now with Obama in office. And this is where I leave this post as I do not wish to make this forum for politics.
However, if anyone knows of, or hears of a movement to ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE, please let me know! I want a front row seat in that deal!!!