Regardless of your politics, post in the comments to let me know you voted!!!

I went to vote today, at a small church on the outskirts of town. The house next door actually had three donkeys in the fenced in front yard. I may have to go back with a camera. The funniest part is that I don't think it was a political message.

---

So I was on the phone with Mommy the other night, and she said something I've had to think about a lot. She said that what this election really depended on was what kind of politicians America wanted. That what you always heard about was how we hate politicians who protect their own and ignore others...she use a term I wasn't familiar with, maybe "pork barrel politics"? Feel free to laugh if I've completely mucked that up. She said the problem with Kerry (basically what made Bush supporters suspicious of him) was that he was a statesman--and that it would be interesting to see if America wanted statesmen anymore.

This morning I read this post by Juan Cole.

---

Something else that came up in the conversation with Mom was the whole purple-heart discussion. Personally I'm amazed that we're even questioning the purple-hearts: The man was the ferryman on hell's river, and we're upset that he might have only gotten a small puncture wound? Kudos to him, his job was to be a target and he barely got hurt instead of getting killed. He still deserves the medal that says: Here's someone who got hurt while doing his duty. Read the Snopes article on it, it's not as if Kerry has tried to glorify what he did. (If you haven't been to Snopes before it's great, they basically take rumors, legends, and generally spread (mis)information, hunt down the details and post whether the rumor is true or false. Some of their entries are surprising. Michelle introduced me to it years ago for hunting down urban legends and email scams.)

The purple heart is an award/reward system for those out there in combat--and the only reason that there are Bush supporters out there wanting to undermine it is because Bush wasn't there to even need a band-aid. He avoided going when Kerry didn't. Funny thing is, I never really saw Bush not going as a strike against him--until his campaigners started running ads belittling those who did and have the medals to prove it. (And yes, I blame Bush for not clearly denouncing the ads. He side-stepped the issue, which is worse than flip-flopping in case you're keeping score. But I digress...)

Salon.com (need subscription or watch ad to enter) goes so far as to outline the requirements of a purple heart, and shows that even if you argue he was wounded because his own weapon backfired (as some have accused) he still qualified for the purple heart.

Given the hurly-burly circumstance of Dec. 2, 1968, Kerry -- and the other men on the mission -- are not sure whether they were hit by enemy fire or if shrapnel from one of the other men on the Boston Whaler injured Kerry. It could have even been Kerry's own M-16 backfiring that caused the shrapnel wound. It doesn't really matter. The requirement makes it clear that you are awarded a Purple Heart for "Injury caused by enemy bullet, shrapnel or other projectile created by enemy action." Does anybody dispute that Kerry's wound was created by enemy action? As the stipulation also makes clear, Kerry would have been awarded a Purple Heart even if he never bled, if, for example, he had suffered a concussion from a grenade. So to set the record straight: Kerry deserved his first Purple Heart -- period. To say otherwise is to distort the reality of the medal.

And if you want to question some of his awards, I think you have a hard time questioning his last ones--this is the write up by the Admiral that went with his bronze star and his third purple heart:

Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry was serving as an Officer-in-Charge of Inshore Patrol Craft 94, one of five boats conducting a Sealords operation in the Bay Hap River. While exiting the river, a mine detonated under another Inshore Patrol Craft and almost simultaneously, another mine detonated wounding Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry in the right arm. In addition, all units began receiving small arms and automatic weapons fire from the river banks. When Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry discovered he had a man overboard, he returned upriver to assist. The man in the water was receiving sniper fire from both banks. Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry directed his gunners to provide suppressing fire, while from an exposed position on the bow, his arm bleeding and in pain and with disregard for his personal safety, he pulled the man aboard. Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry then directed his boat to return to and assist the other damaged boat to safety. Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry's calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

(via Snopes)

Mom's question was: Why isn't the military having a fit? That this whole thing is a question at all suggests that military awards are a sham. Are they? Bush (or rather his campaigners) are certainly suggesting it.

---

I found William Gibson's bloG very heartening today, mostly because of the point that modern polls are no longer indicative of the younger population--these are phone polls, and we all have cell phones. My land line isn't even hooked up to a phone, most of my friends don't even have land-lines...we certainly were never polled...

And the second heartening thing from Gibson's bloG really comes, again, from a Salon.com article:

Oct. 27, 2004 | I am a 21-year-old African-American/loyal Salon reader/ frequent writer to you. Although I love you all a lot and, like you (assuming so), I am a liberal, I just feel I have to scream at you for a bit. Almost two weeks ago, I sent a letter to you guys telling you how the new Eminem song "Mosh" has many young'ns riled up, angry, motivated and against Bush. Now 10 days or so later, not only you guys but many publications are up on it. My point? Maybe you guys should listen more to us young'ns, maybe have a young person consultant of sorts. After all, we will decide this election, as I will point out later in this letter.

First, let me just say prepare for the death of polls, as that will be the dominant story coming out of election night. First blacks. I saw Ann Coulter on some show where she was literally speaking for black America. Being that she is an aging white chick with poorly dyed roots, she obviously got it wrong. Those polls saying how Bush will get 16 to 18 percent of the black vote are just wrong. To quote ODB, "Nigga please." Since black people aren't really polled, here is a bit of insight.

Although we aren't that excited about Kerry, he has nothing to worry about with the African-American community. We as a whole don't like Bush, period. Yes, Democrats take us for granted and regardless of which party, we are at the bottom of the totem poll, but we realize that Democrats talk to us, try with us, are down with us, and give us a seat at the table. We are gamed to what the GOP do, or rather don't do for us.

Locally, as all politics are, as a person living in Louisiana, I can tell you that the more racist persons here are a part of the Republican Party and to us the GOP chooses them over us. Plus, we are highly motivated. You just don't realize how pissed we are from Florida last time. Bringing out Clinton won't hurt, but Kerry shouldn't worry about us African-Americans.

Next, us young'ns. We aren't as stupid as people think. Simply put, we are in Iraq fighting or we know someone there, we have no health insurance, no jobs, and are generally pro-human rights (not for the gay marriage amendment, PATRIOT Act, etc.). We aren't going to vote for Bush, period. Kerry will take about 70 percent of the young vote. I am predicting, collectively there will at least 20 million more voters from these two groups, young'ns and blacks. You maybe think "yeah the fuck right" -- but trust me. On average 30 percent of African-Americans vote. Expect a minimum of 50 percent this time, maybe close to double. That is anywhere between 7 to 9 million more blacks voting. Young'ns will have a similar margin. Again, we at most vote at a 40 percent rate. Young'ns will easily double their numbers, going from 18 million to about 36 million.


Here are things to ponder.

Kerry wins Arizona: This state has the most college students per capita. Kerry will win Flagstaff, Tucson and Tempe. Throw in Native Americans, Latins, and even moderate Republicans who will vote Democratic (they got the Democratic governor elected), and oh I forgot all the Independents, Kerry will win this state.

Kerry wins Nevada: This state simply comes down to Vegas. Kerry will win Vegas by a big enough margin to cancel out the rest of the state.

Kerry win Missouri: What people either don't realize or just don't give a fuck to report is that the black mobilization efforts in St. Louis and Kansas City are second to none, literally. Florida got the attention last time, but people seem to have forgotten that blacks there were denied the right to vote at many polling places that were closed on them. Throw in college towns, Kerry wins.

Kerry wins Minnesota: I can't believe people actually think this state is close. What people tend to forget is that voters here can register as you vote. Throw in Ventura's endorsement and the young'ns.

Kerry wins Colorado: Sometimes people just got to listen to the streets. I have family and friends in Colorado, and what they tell me is that "Fahrenheit 9/11" has had a huge impact there, so much so they are still talking about it, and as people watched it they were changed by it. How can a tradtional red state have a rich ass Senate candidate getting his ass kicked and polls showing Bush/Kerry within the margin. Kerry wins.

Kerry wins Texas: PSYCH! But just as people are saying Kerry wins CA, NY, and NJ by closer margins, so does Bush take his own state. I'll go out on a margin and say Bush gets no more than 60 percent in his own state. Holla.

Just to save space and time: Kerry wins Arkansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida, N. Hampshire, and Penn. He may lose Iowa, as I really don't know much about that state.

Kerry wins nationally in a blowout. Election night is over as central time zone states finish reporting. Why? Because of blacks and young'ns. Bush's people know this, as their strategy is to turn out their base while suppressing our base ... fuckers.

I ask that in the future that you at least take in more opinions from us young'ns and Afro Americans.

The letter made me smile.

---

The bottom line is, of course, go vote. Even if you're not voting for what I'm voting for. Because while I will be disappointed to know that the country I live in supports things I don't, I will be all the more disappointed to find it doesn't support those things but didn't utilize its chance to change them.

Go. Vote.