I Will Have My Say

[anirbas]

in the Sixties and Seventies
raised in my mother's Christian household
at her proverbial knee it was pounded
into my youthful open mind

that The Worldwide Church of God
(a splinter shard denomination of Christianity)
did not participate in Caesar's votes (or any government's
for that matter) we were in not of this world
instead we belonged to the most high and holy
Kingdom of God not that of mankind
in not of this world


long after I fled the family home
become the captain of my fate an adult
an avowed feminist an atheist and a humanist
I continued not to cast my black or white stone
into the pot of a government election my vote my verbal
yay or nay silenced by own frozen action no less

content to allow society to speak for me day after day
no more no more no more yesterday's afternoon
I sat at my desk peering into my computer
desktop screen filling in the prerequisite
blank boxes with my name address county
and zip code online at Register2Vote.org
finally going to stand up and be counted
a silent voice no more I will have my say

[anirbas]

It is my thought, that the third of the country that didn't vote, might have made a difference in 2016. Though I do feel, that particular election process was severely hacked and couped with the aide of pUtin. I still feel, if the silent masses that did not vote, had of voted, Russian interference couldn't have won the day.

All I know, is that the night tRumpLess cheated his way into the White House, I felt profoundly guilty to my very soul, that I had not included my say in the process. It didn't help much realizing I wasn't the only one that didn't vote. That just meant there is an entire herd of Americans out there, blindly free ranging the country without having their say. For whatever reasons one has chosen not to vote in this country, get registered! Then get out and rock that vote! The time is now. The future of this country is at stake. And that future is intertwined inexplicably with the lives of our children and grandchildren.

I must admit, I was embarrassed, ashamed to share this statement poem. To admit, I was and am one of the one third of Americans, blindly roaming the country
without stepping up to the plate and having their say, casting their vote. Recently, someone said to me, "Well, at least we didn't vote for tRump with that third of the country!" Well, there's that.

Bottom line. Don't hesitate in 2020. Get out and rock that vote to the nines! We're mad as hell and ain't nobody got time for the corrupted bullshit going on in the White House these days!!! Finally, have your say!!! Unless, you plan to vote for tRumpLess, again. You, you can stay home.

[darkness0within]

Always good to vote anirbas. It's a hard fought right.

Good piece my friend.

[phantasm]

I don't always vote.

If I don't know anywhere near enough to cast an informed vote, I stay away from the polls.

I don't participate much in local level elections. Not familiar enough with the issues.

Usually try to do at least some research on the state level prior to an election.

I have voted in every Presidential election, or tried to, since I came of age.

On an unrelated note...

I think I made a connection with you all those years ago, Sabrina, because we were both wounded and burned by our religiously-fueled batshit crazy mothers. My mom thought of herself as righteous and pretty much refused to participate in the world, and did her damnedest to keep me, her youngest son, at her side. It was an impulse fueled by fear, xenophobia, and The Great Satanic Panic. I responded differently. I was inspired by A) the highest ideals Christ uttered in the New Testament, B) the humanistic ideals of the Star Trek franchise, C) the "Eternal Quest For Truth" to be had in every science class I ever took in school, D) the astounding wealth of ideas found in the nebulous, massive genre called science fiction, between books, TV shows, and movies, and E) all the genuinely good stuff in secular culture, despite mom's attempts to regulate my consuming the art produced by the wider culture.

I have never repudiated my Christian heritage, but I have also evolved into a massive syncretic pile of I-don't-know-what-all. If mom knew the full extent of where I currently am spiritually, I don't know what she would think.....I think I fill her with disquiet with what she does know about my beliefs. And, unfortunately, I will forever be her little boy, the youngest child in the family she's particularly desperate to protect from the world. Fortunately, a lifetime of intellectual curiosity helped me become my own man and develop a mind of my own........

(Strangely, however, mom did vote reliably... one of my earliest memories is mom carrying me into a voting booth, pulling the curtain, and saying, "Can you help mommie flip this switch? This is the guy we're voting for." That was my first experience with voting and it may well have been a factor in me showing up to the polls as an adult. My mother was registered Republican, dad was registered Democrat.)

[anirbas]

"On an unrelated note...
I think I made a connection with you all those years ago, Sabrina, because we were both wounded and burned by our religiously-fueled batshit crazy mothers."

Yes, I have always thought of us as children raised in the same batshit crazy village, David Phantasm.

"I responded differently. I was inspired by A) the highest ideals Christ uttered in the New Testament, B) the humanistic ideals of the Star Trek franchise, C) the "Eternal Quest For Truth" to be had in every science class I ever took in school, D) the astounding wealth of ideas found in the nebulous, massive genre called science fiction, between books, TV shows, and movies, and E) all the genuinely good stuff in secular culture, despite mom's attempts to regulate my consuming the art produced by the wider culture."

As, did I. I educated myself both during and after school hours reading as much non-fiction as I did fiction. Reading and writing were my twin passions, before I feel head, heart and spirit over heels in love with learning to play the violin. Added to my reading regimen, was my mother's enforcement of taking adult bible study classes starting at nine. At home. She had a book with the most horrendous woodcut images inspired by "scenes from the holy bible". I used to have recurring nightmares inspired by the picture of Jezebel about to be devoured by a pack of slobbering dogs. Every freaking year, I had to read through that god damned book, again and answer the questions at the end of each chapter.

It backfired, this enforced studiousness of the bible. By fourteen, I was pretty well versed, LoL, on biblical yays and nays and flora and fauna and all that rot. And I had started reading my aunt's Ms. magazines she donated to my mom to read along with boxes and boxes of books she was always giving her. Mom didn't read Ms. magazine. She was fanatically Christian and a drunken Stepford wife. It was a vile publication, in her words. And she didn't like my questions that started popping up and popping out of my mouth, at fourteen. About religion and women's place in that weird fairytale.

Long story short. Never saw either of my parents vote. It is going to be so wild when I pony up to vote for the first time in my life! I am excited and looking forward to learning more about the process.

"I have never repudiated my Christian heritage, but I have also evolved into a massive syncretic pile of I-don't-know-what-all. If mom knew the full extent of where I currently am spiritually, I don't know what she would think.....I think I fill her with disquiet with what she does know about my beliefs. "

I stopped being forced to go to church, after I left home at sixteen and a half. Ran away. Finally had enough of both of my mentally, spiritually and physically abusive, insane, drunken parents. Hit the ground running and never looked back. Until I did, in the aftermath. If I had of known what would happen after I got away from them to my younger siblings, I would have stayed to protect them. Anyway, bet my parents are the craziest. Well, were the craziest in my case.

"And, unfortunately, I will forever be her little boy, the youngest child in the family she's particularly desperate to protect from the world. Fortunately, a lifetime of intellectual curiosity helped me become my own man and develop a mind of my own........"

I was and am the oldest of my sibling pack of six. I was trained to be the responsible one. Which meant, to be the one to take care of everyone. My drunken, lunatic parents and their other five children when Dad and Mom's antics terrified the entire family and I would be up half the night, trying to calm my sibs and get them back to sleep. And then get up and go to school the next morning. LoL

Anyway, better days and better ways for the both of us, my friend.