ch...ch...changes...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in early voting. I went down to my local library during the Florida/Georgia game hoping that I'd be the only one there and everyone else would be off drinking themselves silly while watching the game. I pull into the parking lot and am immediately astounded by how many cars are parked in the lot. There are so many vehicles that about 1/8 are parked on curbs illegally. As luck would have it, a car was backing out of a space as I am pulling in. Praise God I didn't have to be wracked with guilt over parking illegally (I really have a hard time doing that sort of thing ... one of my many idiosyncrasies). I walk in through the doors and am stopped by a coworker ... we exchange pleasantries and I ask how long he waited. "Over an hour," he said. "What!?! Really? Oh goodness! Well, I better get in line," I said. And off I went.

I literally walked all the way to the very back of the library to join the line and while I was walking I was stopped by another coworker ... "Can you believe the turnout? And during FL/GA nonetheless!" I commented. She said, "The line moves fast." I felt encouraged and dutifully took my place in line. She wasn't kidding ... Only about 40 minutes had passed when I finally reached the doors to the conference room. We were stopped by an official at the front who tells us which line to get in at the first stop in the room. As I enter line 1 I am greeted by an elderly lady with Gators gear on ... GO GATORS! She asks me for my identification (no need for an actual voter registration card which is a little worrisome but with the electronic database she's searching, etc. I am actually feeling more confident in the changes than in the old way). She takes my driver's license and asks me to confirm my address, etc. and I sign on an electronic screen. She gives me a printout in the form of a receipt of sorts and tells me I must go to another line to turn in my receipt.

Once I have handed over my receipt to the lady in the separate group of lines she tells me to have a seat in the waiting area. I immediately notice a few others before me in the original line who are now seated and waiting their turn however I am immediately called up front. I am hoping that there isn't something wrong but she hands me the ballot and off I go. I am wondering at this point why mine was ready before some others who were waiting longer but I walk over and find an empty voting booth and get down to business. I am through the presidential and congressional voting and on to the judges, etc when I hear some girl in the next row say, "All I wanted to do was vote for Obama. Now they makin' me answer all this other shit." I am immediately saddened by the state of America but keep to the task at hand with the hope that at least my vote cancels hers. Who knows what she actually answered for the rest of the questions.

It is crazy just how democratic our voting system is and will remain. Though the general populous doesn't actually take turns sitting in congress, etc. (as did the ancient Greeks) we allow every eligible person the right to vote for their choice of representative - no matter their qualifications to make that decision. The results will be determined on November 4th, a day after my mom and dad's anniversary. I know that right now, statistically, my candidate is not likely to win the presidential election however, I will continue to hold out hope. I know that no matter the outcome ... this will be a year to change history. We will either have our first Mixed-Race President or our first Female Vice President. These next few years we will tackle the issue of health care and determine just who it is that becomes more burdened with taxes. I know that unfortunately the person who robs Peter to pay Paul will always have the support of Paul (George Bernard Shaw).

It is sad that we cannot get back to basics ... a 10% flat tax with no loopholes and a mandate for big business and health insurance companies to become more responsible to the people. I look at a company like Starbucks and how they manage to make a profit and yet still provide health insurance for most of their employees. Could we not tell WalMart that if they don't adopt this practice (as we see it is quite possible) that we will make their lives miserable with penalties? Maybe I am naive. I know for certain that I cannot begin to fathom all the inner workings of the tax code or how to even begin specifics on health care. However I know that something has got to change ... on both sides of the aisle.

Anyway, that's enough ranting for today ... it's time for lunch. ;-)