Vote It Up, Super Hard (David Byrne)
Monday, November 3, 2008 at 07:58PM Hey all,
I'm sure you're being barraged by people telling you to Vote left right and center. Tomorrow's the big day. We've been bamboozled, had our rights stripped from us, and made to live in a climate of fear for the past 8 years. These days I can't go anywhere without people making a "terrorist" joke about my ethnicity. I've never been ashamed to be Middle Eastern and I never will but this is eggregious. We've been grabbing our ankles for long enough (unless you like that kind of thing, then substitute that for another "painful" metaphor.) I'm not one to enjoy oversaturation of your everyday message but I can't stress enough how important it is to vote.
Tomorrow we have the option of voting on Question 1, 2, and 3. Question one involves repealing the state income tax. I'm not sure I mind paying it as much as I mind where my tax money is going. Argue as much as you want about Uncle Sam's hand in your pocket but I'd rather my state tax money be appropriated correctly. I'm not sure I want to pay it if I can't have a say in what programs it's going to benefit. My stance on Question 1 is a little undecided.
Question 2 is the big one. Somewhere under this starry sky of ours someone/group of people decided smoking marijuana was criminal. I think that's awful. Smoking/using marijuana can enable some people to harness special powers, can lead to amazing snack consumption, can lead to amazing individual though, and can make the act of making love something so spiritual. Weather or not you smoke it, you should stand behind your right to smoke it without suffering criminal penalty. We're all human beings with vices. I just believe that the benefits of marijuana use/production outweigh the negatives. I can't really find negatives but I'm sure someone could come up with something. Please vote Yes on question 2 tomorrow. It just decriminalizes it and turns it into a finable offense.
Most importantly, please read the email that our friend David Byrne has sent to us at Lets Get Tight. You may have noticed the feature we did previously on his album with Brian Eno.
"Pardon the bulk mailing. I Can't Vote. I am an immigrant with a Green Card and, therefore, I am not eligible to vote in a federal election. FYI - I can get drafted (luckily, Daniel Berrigan burned my draft board's records) and I pay taxes, yet I cannot vote for President. On Election Day, I see my neighbors heading to the nearby elementary school to cast their ballots. The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood - rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky - they all turn out in one day.
But most of you can vote. What can I say? The Republicans have made us less safe than before 9/11, bankrupted this economy, started an illegal war they can't - and don't intend to - finish, removed what sympathy (after 9/11) and respect the world had for the US, and have robbed US citizens of many of their basic rights. Global warming? What's that? Science and education? Investment in our future? No, thanks - we'll stick with a good 'ole hockey mom. Ignorant, and fucking proud of it, as is always the case.
Although it looks like a shoo-in, it ain't over 'til Florida. And there are plenty of racists in this country who will vote against their own best interests. So please, get to your local elementary school, post office, town hall, or whatever, and cast your vote and make this a country we can all be proud of. We can get out of this mess, and life can be better than it is.
David Byrne
NYC"
Thanks for voting. You're only given so many rights in this country. Go out and exercise and be proud of your right to Vote. Then go out and celebrate. Every day that you're alive is a good day and a new chance at life.
Cheers!
-Brown Bear
Reader Comments (5)
p.s. Question 3 is about dog races. I'm not sure I'm into them. I'm not sure at this point in my life I can endorse anything involving using animals for sports betting. I'm not a fan of horse racing either. People use these animals and then "destroy" them.
OK, first, smoking pot doesn't make you into sexual chocolate or anything. it makes you be silly and then fall asleep. That's fun and all, but let's not turn it into superpowers.
Second, the emailing from David Byrne, where he claims that anyone who doesn't vote the way he thinks they should is A) racist and B) doesn't know what's in their own best interest, really is kind of an elitist message don't you think? I mean if the ghost of Ron Reagan said such a thing we'd have thirteen choruses of the dead milkmen screaming FASCIST!! And Byrne really is an elitist snob, as is his candidate, assuming that I'm properly surmising his man...
I'm not here to tell anyone who to vote for, or what they are if they don't want to vote for who I do, I just want to think through this all rationally...
speak for yourself. i turn into sexual chocolate. seriously.
i beat it up super hard and get in touch with my inner animal.
Sorry boss.
oh sorry, i was smoking a bunch of herb when i read this and didn't completely finish my comment.
So in regard to what David Byrne had to say was that anyone who has the right to vote should exercise it. It's a fundamental right given to citizens of the United States but can be revoked easily. Not having the proper identification on election day or not being registered in your current neighborhood can be a real bitch. Weird things get tied into voting as well. Suppose you insure your car at your parents suburban house to keep the price of insurance down because you live in the city and consider that your domicile, your license has your suburban address on it and in some cases (mine and my roommate) you'll have to head out there somehow on election day to vote.
If you can vote you should do it. Weather you vote for the old failure of a robot that they call McCain, or you vote for "the promise of a new world" Obama, or Nader, or you just write my legal name down (my suggestion to you).. go out and fucking do it.
There's more at stake this election than ever before. Question 2 is what's cooking baby. Get out there and vote yes. I don't think David Byrne was trying to say that if you don't vote for Barack n' Roll that you're a fascist. He was saying "fuck what happened to this country, go out and make a change at the micro-level that you can". You can't argue this place is going to fucking hell. If you honestly believe we've had a beautiful 8 years your head is jammed so far up your ass that you're shit stained eyes are clouding your perception.
If you think voting for McCain is a great idea, you're fucking incompetent and that's that. If you stand by and think it's alright that he's even running in the first place you're bonkers too. Vote however you will but this is my opinion and it's based on the current economy and fascist war machine that this place has become.
I'll smoke to that. I do every night.
I need a slice!