My first (and likely last) post ever about politics

Yesterday, I voted. It was easy. But does anyone else feel like you're cheating if you bring in notes on what to vote for? As if it's a closed-book test? I especially felt this way because I didn't even study, and Erin made up the cheat sheet for me. I had to ask her a question, too, during it, and was paranoid we were gonna get scolded. But everyone was very nice there, and nobody confiscated my ballot.

Then later, Obama became president. It was really exciting.
I'm not especially political. I mean, there are things I feel strongly about (human rights stuff, mainly), but I don't like talking about it, or even thinking about it, honestly. Both of my parents like to vent a lot, and that's fine, because I know not everyone has super-liberal parents and I don't want to take that for granted, but otherwise, I find it really boring and avoid it as much as possible. But that being said, I'm always surprised by just how affected I am by the outcome of the presidential elections. This year, I was working at the theater when it was announced, and we were projecting live news coverage on the screen, and suddenly I heard everyone applauding. So I went in there, and there it was huge on the screen, Barack Obama: President-Elect. Nearly 200 people were in the theater and they were all cheering and clapping and stomping their feet, and it was fucking amazing. I got really swept up in it, and kind of emotional, and it all came flooding back to me how immensely fucking crushing the last two elections were. I remember hearing the news both times Bush won, and it was devastating. The second time, especially, was not only crushing, but disappointing and insane. I was disgusted with America. I was proud to not be a patriot. And so with all that rushing back to my memory, last night didn't even feel real. It was a kind of relief I've rarely felt before. The country did something that was not only right, but historic. Good fucking work, America.

But then I saw the Prop 8 results (about gay marriage) and it killed my mood a little. And prostitution is still illegal in SF, which is also very lame. The abortion notification thing went well, though, at least. And we get a bullet train. I'd rather have some equal rights for gays and whores, but the bullet train will be pretty awesome.

Comments

[mel]

I agree about the cheatsheet, but it would have been impossible for me to remember all that shit. And I always feel nervous when I go to vote, I'm worried they're going to turn me away for some reason, or that there is a secret warrant out for me and then the cops will be able to find me and I'll get arrested...

[Placenta Ovaries]

I'm sure most people use the cheat sheet, and there's no rule against it, but there's just that fear of being "caught" ingrained in all our heads from school.
I felt really nervous that I wasn't going to be on the list when I got there. I just registered at my current address a little more than a month ago, and then right before the election, they sent me something that said that like, the registration didn't go through because I had filled out a Change of Address, but they didn't have me registered at my previous address. But like, who cares if they did or didn't, they obviously had my information and my current address if they were able to send me mail, right? So I just ignored it, and everything turned out to be fine, and I was listed at the nearby polling place. I did get arrested, though, because of an outstanding warrant (jaywalking without a license).

[Your liberal mother]

Honey, I am so proud of you. Not only did you vote but you blogged about it. Love your line about equal rights for gays and whores. You are a chip off the old block.

Love MOM