Does Election Day Matter? Is a vote a voice?

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Does Election Day Matter? Is a vote a voice?


The second Tuesday of November has come and gone. I imagine within a few months we will see sweeping change across the nation, maybe the world. This may sound irrational. It may describe what many people felt last November.  Change is constant. Is it accelerated, or slowed by the political election process?

In certain, acute moments it certainly appears to accelerate things greatly. For instance, on election night 2016, financial markets went wild. The frenzy continued the next day, and into the weeks to come. Certain assets or commodities were deemed to be doomed, while others saved. Had one politician or party created this much real change? Only time would tell, but supporters bought the news. Detractors ran, hid and prepared for the skies to fall. 

Just after election day 2017 I find myself reflecting on these moments, some of which may be historic. For many jurisdictions, there was little to nothing on the ballot. In others, mayors and representatives won in historic fashion. Voting is seen as a way to exercise the will of the people on the government. Sometimes the opposite seems true. The will of the government is heavy and growing. Even politicians elected in a revolutionary fashion are forced up against it, not to mention the citizens who voted for them. 

Government is criticized for not being dynamic. In today's environment, change is expected to occur instantly, or at least pretty darn quickly. Businesses that cannot keep up often fail. Governments that cannot keep up? They will attempt to trudge on, with or without the support of the people, in the name of the People. Well and ill-intentioned actors may enter the stage and take the spotlight, but does the tune ever change?

People today frequently cite this notion that we live in a world divided. There are neighbors who cannot agree, families made distant by their ideologies. This may be true. Is it more true than in the past? I am not sure about that. Sometimes it seems to be a function of awareness, coupled with a feeling of helplessness. Just today I heard my co-workers debating: 

"What are you going to do about it?" 
"There's nothing you can do about it!"
"That's your answer to everything!"

For some, the de-facto answer is that nothing I do, or don't do will make a substantial difference anyway. This is why people must focus only on what they can control. 

We can control things about ourselves. Our actions, our attitudes, how we spend our time and money all express how WE would like to see the world. Be considerate. Take control, and affect what you can. If you have an opinion, let it be heard. You have one voice, only you can control that. Use it how you choose, not how you're told to.

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