on voting

-burythepast:

I’ve seen a lot of posts about how voting is pointless, how it’s only contributing to the system we’re wishing to end, how it’s choosing your oppressors and not your liberators. While I can agree with these points, most of the time the people making them are extremely privileged. I’ve seen many white, middle to upper class, heterosexual cis-men claim that they refuse to vote because it accomplishes nothing.

It takes so much fucking privilege to choose not to vote, and I think a lot of people don’t get that, and this is ignoring the fact that it takes privilege just to have the basic right to vote. It’s easy to say that the different political parties are the same evil pretending to be separate when you’re not oppressed. If you don’t have to be terrified of having your reproductive rights and health torn away from you, it’s easy to say that voting is stupid. If you don’t have to worry about not being able to marry your partner because of your sexual orientation, it’s easy to say that nothing will change based on your vote. If you don’t have to worry about not caring for your family or not having a roof over your head, it’s easy to say that each candidate is just as bad as the next.

I understand that this system is fucked and that no form of oppression will ever be able to end under it. I understand that we need a radical change to end suffering and that neither popular party wants to enact that. I understand that small concessions will never be enough to fix the lives of those who are currently dominated and exploited. But to those whose lives teeter on the edge based on policies, the small differences between the Democrats and the Republicans matter a great deal. No, President Obama doesn’t give a shit about my life. He cares more about corporations, the wealthy, and capitalism in general to care about my, or any other individual’s life. But at least he isn’t directly threatening my right to an abortion, or two person’s right to marry, or someone’s means for feeding themselves, even if he doesn’t outright promote those things.

I vote because while I hate this system, I’m still in it. My life is completely controlled by the fuckers up top. And while it is completely ridiculous to feel a sense of freedom or pride from choosing your oppressors, I feel it’s necessary because there are differing grades of oppression that can occur in my country. I am already dominated every single day by men. I am not going willingly allow someone to come into office who will try to dominate my right to birth control and abortion, as well. Each candidate fucking sucks, but to pretend that legislature doesn’t matter, that people’s lives aren’t affected by who is in office, is crazy. You are only able to do that if you don’t have to face oppression yourself or if you’re choosing to ignore it.

Voting shouldn’t feel good, it shouldn’t feel freeing or patriotic. You can vote for the people in your life who need access to programs that the GOP wants to take away, though. You can vote while hating the system and speaking out against it.

There are a million awesome reasons why people don’t vote, many of them coming from people who do experience oppression. I’m not trying to disagree with those or say that they’re invalid. Yeah, it sucks to contribute to a system that does nothing but exploit and control. There are so many ways in which we already contribute to this system regardless of our hatred for it, though. We simply have to contribute unless we live alone in a forest. Most of us support capitalism and our government by shopping, paying taxes, having a job, driving, and buying pretty much anything ever. At least voting is a contribution that may make some people’s lives a tiny bit better, or even just a tiny bit less terrifying and oppressive.

all of that ^^^ well said

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5. vegspiration reblogged this from lurid-fragment and added:

   AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS. Politics DOES affect...not!! Stay educated

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10. lainexvx said: you rule.
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