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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,840,231 |
Question of the Week: 1 - 8/7/2000 Who are you going to vote for and why? Which political platform or candidate are you leaning towards? Do you think that a level of political involvement is important to pagans? Are you registered to vote, will you vote and who -if you don't mind telling the world- are you planning to vote for (or against)? |
| Reponses: There are 233 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| I Have No Fantasy That Ralph Nader Will Be Elected President, Or... | Aug 7th. at 1:42:03 pm EDT |
| Stardust (Lubbock, Texas US) | Age: 20 |
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I have no fantasy that Ralph Nader will be elected president, or even recieve a single electoral vote, but I will still vote my concious. I agree with many parts of the Green Party platform and of naders own views, and am casting my vote (yes, I'm already registered) that way because I feel at least I am showing America my opinion. Most likely I believe that Bush will win because he has a much greater appeal to the "general populance" that Gore. Bush is a better speaker and is so far has run a better campaign (in my opinion). My view may be colored because I live in a very conservative part of Texas. I see the next four years as being a struggle for American pagans. |
| You Can't Be Heard Unless You Speak Up! We Pagans Have Become... | Aug 7th. at 1:33:03 pm EDT |
| Carey Oxler (Kansas City, Missouri US) | Age: 21 - Email |
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You can't be heard unless you SPEAK UP! We pagans have become so used to silence being our protection, that maybe we've let that seep into our voting perspective. I have been disillusioned, like everyone else, by the farce that is our current "two"-party system. Ralph Nader has proven he's not a puppet for corporations that care more about making money than their employees or consumers. Forgive the length of this rant, inspired by the incredible Dennis Miller... What has happened to our political system? Since when have our political leaders been passed around like hot baseball rookies: the special interest group who offers the juiciest contract wins? I donÕt mean to get off on a rant here, but our current democratic process is about as close to what our founding fathers had in mind as George W. Bush is to getting into Mensa. Which makes me wonder. Why arenÕt more of our leaders gifted with at least the intelligence and common sense of your average post-seizure teacup poodle? Come on, people. Dan Quayle was nothing more than assassination insurance for George. I donÕt care what your terrorist agenda was, having Danny BoyÕs finger on the button is the stuff of chalupa-and-ice-cream-induced nightmares. The Chinese had a system by which the peasants could improve their station in society: run for public office. The trick was getting past the rigorous written exams. Your average peasant couldnÕt get the cowrie shells together to bribe the proctor, so occasionally some guys made it through on intelligence and ability. Good thing Mao took care of that. As Americans, weÕve proven we canÕt choose competent leaders by popularity. It didnÕt work for the highschool Student Council, and itÕs not working here. Your average American canÕt tell a political leader from a pro-wrestler, but they can look at sports statistics and know that the higher the number, the better the player. LetÕs get odds on these guys before we place our bets. Forget party lines- Bill has to pick a card when he gets up in the morning to determine what his political alignment will be for the day. I say we require that IQ, Emotional Intelligence, general political aptitude, psychological profiles, and international protocol savvy scores be posted on the ballots next to their names. Hmm. Candidate A is a pathological liar, but Candidate B doesnÕt know where Uruguay is on a map. This might be a little more informative then knowing whether they prefer Pepsi or Coke after boffing an intern. And I want this standardized. No NRA cardholder extra credit points. And I want as much of it put onto a computer as possible. Go ahead and put a slot in the terminal for bribes, because if you donÕt theyÕll just break something trying to do it anyways. Maybe we could put the money toward our educational institutions that produce politicians dumb enough to try to bribe a machine... But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong... Is it just me, or have Americans become so used to government corruption that they no longer vote honestly, just what they think they can get away with? I have asked lots of people who they're voting for, and they all say they hate George and Al, but that they "don't want to throw their vote away..." You have a voice, you have a conscience. Try voting for someone with the balls to stand up to corrupt corporations without taking bribes. Try voting for someone who has ACTED on his convictions. Try voting for someone who will do what he can to make sure our children will live healthy lives. Try voting for someone who hasn't been groomed for a political career for his entire natural life. And if you haven't been there yet, got to www.votenader.com Email Me! I actually write back! Carey_Kat@hotmail.com |
| I Am Wondering What Is The Canidates Position On Paganism/ Wicca. I... | Aug 7th. at 1:19:47 pm EDT |
| Sara Hickey (Vallejo, California US) | Age: 26 - Email |
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I am wondering what is the canidates position on Paganism/ Wicca. I am pretty sure that Bush does not recognize Wicca as a religion (ie. in the military). I could never vote for some one of that opinion! I have yet to see anything about Gore or his running mate. Where can I find this information? |
| Leaning Towards" Doesn't Cover It - I'm Downright Falling Into The Democratic Camp... | Aug 7th. at 1:11:43 pm EDT |
| Scott Martin (Kalamazoo, Michigan US) | Age: 25 |
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"Leaning towards" doesn't cover it - I'm downright falling into the Democratic camp. I really have difficulty seeing how people who are interested in First Amendment rights could possible vote for George W. - this is, after all, the man who said that the U.S. military should not recognize Wicca as a religion. And since the next president will probably determine the makeup of the Supreme Court - who decide how the First Amendment will be interpreted - for the next couple of decades, I have no real choice but to vote for Al Gore. And I WILL be voting, and encouraging all of my like-minded friends to do so. It's time to walk the talk, folks - don't rely on other people to make leadership decisions for you. Peace! |
| I Would Love To Vote For Ralph Nader - The Whole Green Thing... | Aug 7th. at 12:59:45 pm EDT |
| Dy (Mnpls, Minnesota US) | Age: 31 - Email |
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I would love to vote for Ralph Nader - the whole green thing - but as great as some of his ideas are, they are much too radical for most of non-thinking America. I will be voting for Al Gore, not because I really support him or the Democratic platform, but because I don't want to live in a country where GWBush and his followers are in charge. I have nightmares about what the Supreme Court may do to any number of our freedoms with a vehemently Christian 'burning bush' in office, if you get my drift. Thanks for the opportunity to comment! |
| I Would Say That I Am A Libertarian Because I Believe That... | Aug 7th. at 11:18:16 am EDT |
| Ed Broneske (Roseville, California US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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I would say that I am a Libertarian because I believe that the Federal Government should only be involved in the National Defence of our borders, assisting in trade disputes between the states and to keep the Interstate freeways kept up. Most of the time I vote the Republican Ticket only for the fact that I am a fiscal conservative. I believe that as Pagans should be involved in politics, mainly from the local level. I believe that it is our duty to participate even if it is only voting in all elections no matter how small. As an Asatruar I value the ability that we have to voice our opinion and vote, I also believe that we need to find political leaders that support our value system especially our independence, self-reliance, and our ability of self-rule to take control of our lives as we see fit. I also think that we should be involved for another reason and that is to go against the religious right (funamentalism christianity, who would outlaw our beliefs or our ability to worship freely. These groups pump a lot of money in the political coffers as well as get their people to go vote for candidates who will further their goals. I am a registered Republican, I am thinking of registering as a Libertarian. I haven't decided yet, I would like to see Libertarian Harry Brown become president, but I'm more likely to vote for Bush, only because I don't want to see AlGore in the Whitehouse. I would like to get rid of the Clinton/Gore nightmare. |
| In An Ideal Political Environment, The Green Party Would Be My Preference... | Aug 7th. at 10:57:51 am EDT |
| Heather (Austin) | Age: 36 |
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In an ideal political environment, the Green Party would be my preference this November. However, we do not yet live in that ideal political nation. More than grassroots efforts are needed to popularize the party. More front page positive news stories, more serious coverage by the major news networks, funding by "legitimate" and "respected" sources.....all these things may eventually lead to an election in which a vote for a third party candidate will truly count. Until that time I will cast my vote for the candidate who will best protect my interests, and who has the most realistic chance of winning the election. Gore may have faults, but Bush couldn't buy my vote with all the oil money in Texas. (To all the Greens I may have offended.....these words were meant as food for thought, and fuel for action.) |
| It Would Take A Wild Herd Of Horses (a Large One) To... | Aug 7th. at 10:14:47 am EDT |
| Dryad (Brattleboro, Vermont US) | Age: 32 - Email |
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It would take a wild herd of horses (a large one) to drag me away from voting for Al Gore. I fear that Bush and Cheney will take this election as the country swings to the conservative right once more. I believe that Gore has the knowledge to do what's best for the US as a whole, rather than just the rich. Quite frankly, the Republicans strike me as a thieving and conniving bunch of Rich White Men who want only the best for other Rich White Men. Everyone else has to fend for themselves. As for pagans being involved in politics, at this point I think we should start with local rather than national politics in order to raise confidence at voter level. Who knows, one day a pagan could be President! |
| Yea I Think It Important To Be Involved The Politics. Yes I... | Aug 7th. at 10:11:06 am EDT |
| Liz (Folly Beach, South Carolina US) | Age: 45 |
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Yea I think it important to be involved the politics. Yes I am a registered voter and i will vote in Nov. I just don't know who yet. |
| I Am Leaning Towards The Democratic Platform. As A Pagan And A... | Aug 7th. at 9:28:44 am EDT |
| Sean Wilson (Champaign, Illinois US) | Age: 31 |
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I am leaning towards the Democratic platform. As a pagan and a parent, I have a lot of concern about the Christian Right and the fact they wish to outlaw our religion. While some will argue that the Constitution declares that all religions are equal and therefore none can be outlawed, there is a world of difference between legal theory and legal reality. By the time the Supreme Court got the chance to say that any law outlawing pagan religions was unconstitutional a lot of damage would have already been done. So, yes all Pagans need to be politically active. If there comes a time when our faith is accepted as a normal activity, then perhaps could Pagans become less political. But since the Jews still need to be politically active, I doubt it will be soon before we won't need to be. I am registered to vote and I will vote for Al Gore. I may be tempted to vote for a third party candidate but unfortunately, such a candidate will not win. I need to back someone who can win and will at least be neutral to my faith. Although the Republican platform calls for religious tolerance, I would like to see some action to backup words before I will believe it. |
| Recently I Was Able To Spend Time Around Serious Christians (meaning People... | Aug 7th. at 9:27:43 am EDT |
| Gillian Silverheart (Tampa, Florida US) | Age: 28 - Email |
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Recently I was able to spend time around serious Christians (meaning people who know their bibles and have deeply-held beliefs) and what I learned has affected my life: Christians seriously, sincerely believe that any non-Christian is not only doomed to their hell but under the influence of "satan." Not a shocker, right? Well, what this means is that NO amount of "goodwill" education about who we are as pagans and what we do as pagans will EVER get them to accept us and allow us to be ourselves. If they appear to "accept" us, it is only because they think they can convert us. They can't truly accept us, because they sincerely believe we are led by satan (us denying the existence of satan means nothing except to "prove" that the devil's got us duped). So if education and networking won't work against this country's Christian force, what will? Politics. The law is on our side; the constitution is on our side. We must fight very, very diligently to retain the right of freedom of religion. It is VITAL that EVERY pagan vote--Christians vote in their attempt to have their religion forced on everyone, and so must we vote to counteract them and insure that we are allowed to practice our religion. I know a Christian who says, in response to people who complain about any kind of Christianity in the public sphere, "The constitution guarantees freedom *OF* religion, not freedom *FROM* religion." He's right, but not in the way he thinks--the constitution guarantees freedom *OF* religion, not freedom *from- every-religion- except-Christianity*, which is what Christians seem to be after. We must be ever-diligent and keep fighting to retain our rights. We must vote for whoever seems the most likely to fight for us. Blessed Be, Gillian Silverheart (aka sara j, ladyfayre) |
| I Will Not Be Voting This Election Year, I Am Throwing My... | Aug 7th. at 8:49:58 am EDT |
| Shadow (St. Augustine, Florida US) | Age: 35 |
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I will not be voting this election year, I am throwing my vote away in protest to the out right lying and political corruption that has overwhelmed the United States. This will be the first time since I have been able to vote that I will not vote. As a former United States Marine, very proud of my country, and about as patriotic as a person can be without being a zealot to the cause, I am ashamed of our countries politions. One is a known liar, the other someone who prom, otes religious intolerance over others. Niether are worth my time and effort to vote for. On the local level, I do what I can but I see no redeming hope for our national level politions. Yes, I do think political involvment is important to pagans, I also think it should be important enough to be involved as much as one can stomach it. Yes, I am registered to vote. Most likely I will end up voting. And probably against Gore. Not because I like Bush, but because I detest Gore and what he has shown the american people to be capable of, Bush's religious indignation towards other religions can be fought, legally and constitutionally. His Jesus day and other inappropriate religious ovatures are being battled. But you can not battle a liar and win, not when too many people are willing to back the liear, not to save their skins, not to save his skin, but to save party skin, Clinton is a prime example. Even his own party acknowledged his wrong doing, but they steadfastly refused to do anything about it. Thats like a cop saying yes he is wrong for breaking and entering, but we are not going to do anything about it. Amounts to the same thing. Gore is knee deep in Clintons mess and neck deep in his own. |
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