The founding fathers only allowed white, land-owning men to have the right to vote. Voting was technically illegal for black citizens until after the Civil War, and it was still almost impossible for black Americans to vote until 1965. Women weren't allowed to vote until 1920. 18-year-olds didn't have the right to vote until 1971. All throughout time, people have fought for the right to choose their leaders. We have to respect those efforts by showing up in November.
If gerrymandered Congressional districts keep you from voting, keep in mind that gerrymandering doesn't affect statewide elections for governors and U.S. Senate seats. This year, citizens in 36 states will have the opportunity to vote for governor. And whoever is in the governor's mansion in 2020 will get to sign off on new congressional districts drawn up after the next census. If you want to stop gerrymandering, it's your duty to pick the best candidates for state house, state senate, and governor.
I'm all for having a political revolution in this country, and agree that many Democrats and Republicans are equally corrupt. But in this particular election, one of those parties is actively working overtime to make sure blacks, students, the elderly, and poor people don't get to vote. That same party is working just as hard to stall any meaningful legislative progress, no matter how widely-supported, as long as a black man is in the White House. By not voting, you're voicing your silent opinion that what they're doing is acceptable, and simultaneously doubling the votes of their supporters.
I agree with my anarchist friends that the best way to achieve meaningful progress is through a diversity of tactics. And the vote is just as important a tactic as protesting, blocking streets, occupying foreclosed homes, developing cooperative workplaces, and growing organic food. When more of us show up to vote, the oligarchs gradually lose their influence, and we make gradual progress. Democracy is not a spectator sport. So if you want to win, get your ass out of the bleachers and participate.
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*Carl Gibson, 27, is co-founder of US Uncut, a nonviolent grassroots movement that mobilized thousands to protest corporate tax dodging and budget cuts in the months leading up to Occupy Wall Street. Carl and other US Uncut activists are featured in the documentary We're Not Broke, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Carl is also the author of How to Oust a Congressman, an instructional manual on getting rid of corrupt members of Congress and state legislatures based on his experience in the 2012 elections in New Hampshire. He lives in Sacramento, California.
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