MY PRECIOUS, MY PRECIOUS I never cease to be amazed by the voting thing, especially when I consider what a Bible-centered culture we live in. I have never come across anything similar to voting anywhere in the scriptures. There are, to be sure, instances of making choices, but usually on the basis of pure chance, what is usually referred to as casting lots. Sometimes, just to amuse myself, I like to imagine a trip in a time machine back to those days, and the looks on the faces of those ancient people when I told them about the future and the way we vote. In effect, I would be telling them of a world in which leaders were chosen by the people they were leading. I have little doubt that such an effort on my part would be completely wasted. The people who lived back then could not have comprehended such a thing. I like to think of them, at least one of them, saying something like, "What the hell kind of a leader is that? The people pick him? It doesn't make any sense. A leader is a strong man, and very wise. He's the one who has the power - and the wisdom - to take hold of the reins and lead the people. God might choose him, but the people? That's crazy." Like I said, I'd be wasting my time. I really don't like to vote. I truly believe it's about as futile as the imaginary trip in the time machine. As I've already pointed out, nearly every election seems to be a split right down the middle, which makes it seem as if everybody's vote is just being cancelled by somebody else. What's the point? I've also lived long enough to have seen several presidential elections in which the newly-elected candidate, once in office, didn't make much of a difference, sort of like the current moron, who hasn't had any effect but a negative one. It's like he's not running (i.e., presiding over) this country as much as that one (and I think we all know which one I'm talking about). The whole scenario always reminds me of Tolstoy's position on history and great men. In case you're unfamiliar with it, he basically believed that men (individual men) don't make history so much as history makes men (or, lately, women). And when I consider some of the total bozos who are actually given the right to vote ... well, I gotta tell you, I get a little scared. Think about it. We live in a country that supported the television show Hee Haw for twenty years! Can you imagine? Do you honestly think that the people who were faithful to that show have any business voting? Somehow, I don't think so. Same holds for the ghetto rappers who walk around holding their crotches and prancing around like a bunch of monkeys and point their finger at you while they're spewing forth with the biggest load of verbal crap you'd never want to hear. As if anyone truly cares about what they have to say. Whatever in the hell that might be! They butcher the queen's English so badly, I'm amazed we actually allow them to live, let alone vote. (Of course I'm being facetious.) I've got one more beef about voting and then I'll shut up: it doesn't give you enough choices. For some time now I've had the opinion that we should be able to vote against someone, and I don't mean by virtue of the fact that we vote for the opponent. In other words, I did not want to vote for Kerry as much as I wanted to vote against Bush. I really wish we could be given such an option. For every candidate listed on the ballot there should be two choices, for or against. It feels too restricting to be able to vote only for one or the other. You should be given the option of voting specifically against someone. Where Have All The Leaders Gone?
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