The Politics of Abstention
It’s an election year and the political climate is a tempest in a teapot. Here’s why I’ve decided to stay out of the fray and hug it out, instead. Oh, and you can have my vote.
Sex, family secrets, menstruation, parenting missteps, tales of romantic bad decisions. In my writing, and in my life, there’s not much I don’t have a story for, and there’s very few stories I won’t tell.
Much to my mother’s (completely justified) dismay, my life, and heart, are pretty much an open book. In fact, just in the last week I told readers about my father’s shameful past and tried to find out from the historically-accurately dressed folk in Colonial Williamsburg what ladies of the day used for feminine protection.1
In fact, there are only two things I’ll ever shy away from talking about: politics and politics.
Somehow, the man I’m dating holds an endless fascination for all things political. When he brought up the fact that the recent “zombie” incidents weren’t terribly surprising given the fact that “we’ve been cannibalizing each other for years,” I knew by the look in his eyes that we were headed toward the political danger zone and quickly changed the subject. Probably to my boobs.
It’s not just with him that I have to dodge such conversations. It is an election year, after all. People are plenty free with their opinions–and will no doubt want to know yours–on the issues and the candidates.
So why would someone with opinions about every single thing keep them to herself when it comes to this one subject? Well, if politics and I were facebook official, our relationship status would be “It’s Complicated”.
First, I’m completely undereducated. While I pick up bits here and there–from the news I watch in the mornings while I’m getting ready, the headlines on the stacks of newspapers that sit by the door of the store where I work, or (most frequently) by eavesdropping on conversations that are none of my business–those tiny morsels aren’t enough to form an opinion. And they certainly aren’t enough to form a vote. Oh, did I mention that I don’t vote?
Additionally, for all of my sass and snark, at the very heart of me is a peace lover and, ultimately, a peacemaker. To put it bluntly, politics are divisive. I’ve seen many people, who connect on multiple levels, completely dismiss each other once they learn the other’s politics. How does your opinion about my worth change based on my views of same-sex marriage, abortion, or the City revoking Art 180’s permit to display children’s paintings on Monument Avenue? And if your opinion differs from mine, should that mean we can’t love each other or work through other issues together?
Look, conflict makes me queasy. It always has. And politics are at the heart of so many conflicts. Does that mean ignoring it will make it go away or that some people shouldn’t engage in discussion and action? Heavens no! If not for those people, I wouldn’t have the option of bowing out. I might be a Maria von Trapp who sings lovely, comforting songs while an army invades her homeland, but I do realize that someone has to fight off the Nazis with more than a Do-Re-Mi.
Am I just sticking my head in the sand, choosing love and ignorant bliss over the power that comes from being informed? Yep. There are eleventy seven million people out there eager to discuss politics with you and get behind your cause, but I just can’t find the time. But please feel free to tell me all about how you lost your virginity or the time your grandma got drunk and took off her top at your cousin’s wedding–for that, I’ve got all day.
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Footnotes
- Brings a whole new meaning to the term “period costume.” ↩
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The Checkout Girl
The Checkout Girl is Jennifer Lemons. She’s a storyteller, comedian, and musician. If you don’t see her sitting behind her laptop, check the streets of Richmond for a dark-haired girl with a big smile running very, very slowly.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
While you may not take an interest in politics, politics most certainly takes an interest in you.
It’s one thing to not want to get too involved, its another to duck your responsibilities as a citizen. How many wars is this country involved in now? I lost count with Yemen.
Only 19% of potential voters support Romney or Obama as the best candidates for president. Corporate media have only allowed coverage of Democrats and Republicans, around the clock for over a year, and we still have five months before the farcical elections.
About half the population, seeing the system hopelessly corrupt, don’t bother to register to vote, and millions who are registered don’t feel it matters to even show up at the polls. Corporate media call it “democracy.”
Wow, that’s really disappointing.
Don’t care about what the Supreme Court does either? Whay DO you care about, other than “loving one another”? Lame
If you can prove to me that my vote at the national level really counts, even if I vote for a 3rd party candidate, then I’ll vote at the national level. The deck is stacked so high against candidates that aren’t Democrats or Republicans that it’s demoralizing (though I don’t abstain just because the system makes me sad). And don’t just say “civic duty” without qualifying that statement. How is it my duty? Why is it my duty? I’m not saying all this as a provocation, I’d really like to know. As if the comments section of an opinion piece was the best place for this anyway…
It actually does count, your vote, if not your complete and total opinion about where the State of the Union stands. Especially in a swing state – Virginia is one a very few states that will really make a difference this year. Please save your pointless idealistic gesture for the proper occasion.
I’m glad Susan B. Anthony didn’t stick her hand in the sand…
Schlep: are you suggesting that a vote is important even if the opinion behind it is useless? I don’t follow.
And swing state or not, in VA, if I vote for a 3rd party, my vote doesn’t do much but piss off people if things get close between the two dominant parties.
I’m voting third party, and not for awful Ron Paul, either. A third party vote at the very least functions as a no confidence vote against the major parties. It encourages discussion of issues beyond the tiny differences democrats or republicans have.
You guys have fun discussing ‘the issues’ under the Romney administration. I mean it’s simply a choice between ‘all right’ and ‘worse and worse’, to me. Sorry you don’t have the candidate you asked Santa for.
schlep: When was the last time somebody changed your mind talking to you that way?
And telling me to pick between two choices I don’t want is just as morally wrong as telling me I can’t vote all together.
As someone who has not voted in more elections than he’s voted in I feel you. The choices we are given on the national level are incredibly limited. I decided this week on my current voting strategy: always vote for the party to the left of the incumbent. Green party this year, Jill Stein for president!
I lost my virginity after my junior high school dance. It scared the fuck out of me.
You’re too morally upright to live in this fallen world Daniel (1). Get thee to a monastary.
I like the idea of the no confidence vote. We should host a referendum to have this added as a choice to the ballot.
There’s an editorial in Style today about the need for a viable third party – with some sort of progressive middle class environmental agenda. Sounds cool, but for 2012 if you’re not voting to keep the right wing from absolutely wrecking everything, you’re being foolish and vain. If you haven’t heard my opinion enough :)
Politics is like sports, except with actual important consequences. Also, with politics you can give money to the team you want to win.