Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Rachel Cox <rachel AT hesketh.com>]

At 01:33 PM 11/4/2002 -0500, Diana Duncan wrote:
[snip]
>Honestly, though, even if you're disappointed in the major races, there are
>many local races and issues that deserve a considered vote.

I'd posit that the major races do as well, even if you don't find any 
candidate as appealing as you'd like. *Someone* is going to be elected, and 
it's going to be one of the candidates on the ballot. Not voting doesn't 
actually send a message, IMO, because they don't give results for "and [X] 
percent of voters cast no vote for [insert race of choice]". Not voting in 
a given race is like trying to stop a train by standing on the tracks 
looking disappointed.

The Senate is currently divided almost exactly in half. If the Republicans 
regain control, Trent Lott will be the Senate Majority Leader and the GOP 
will chair every Senate committee, and if the House remains Republican then 
both houses of Congress and the White House will be Republican. If you find 
Republicans more congenial to your viewpoint, then by all means, feel free 
not to vote.

And then there are the courts to consider. It's expected that within the 
next six years, Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Associate 
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will retire; others may as well. New ones will 
be appointed, and Congress will approve or reject them. What they do 
matters, and if you think they can't take away freedoms we take for 
granted, think again. And of course it's not just the Supreme Court, 
either. If I understand it correctly, the party that controls the Senate 
Judiciary Committee controls the flow of appointments to the lower federal 
courts, and can serve as a check on the President, or as a rubber stamp. 
Me, I'd rather they serve as a check. But if you feel the current 
administration is doing a fine job protecting the civil liberties they 
think we should have, and are willing to give up the ones that they think 
are unimportant in the face of grave danger from terrorists, again, please 
feel free to not vote.

Otherwise, consider biting the bullet and voting for the lesser of the 
evils. In my opinion, that's a whole lot better than sitting back and 
waiting for the greater evil to take charge.

Cheers, y'all!
-Rachel
_____________________________________________________________________
Rachel Cox  |  Web Developer  |  919.834.2552 x16  |  hesketh.com/inc
        Image is only the beginning.  Knowledge is profitable.
              http://www.hesketh.com/proof/white_papers/