Vote, please.

I am sorry to inform you I have done something that I am not proud of, and have actually cried over (though I should note that I was very sick and feverish while I did cry). I forgot to register to vote on time. There I said it.

The reason why this did occur with it not being my intention, was due to the fact that I am still a resident and registered voter in Hawaii, though I live in Oregon. It is very hard to gain residency here while being a student (which I was for the past five years) due to the large amount of students that want to do so for the sole purpose of paying in-state tuition. As a Hawaii voter then, I needed to mail in my registration earlier than the date for a change of address, which I didn't realize and wasn't paying attention to because I was and had been very sick for two whole weeks.

I remember being so excited to vote in my first election in 2008, and getting others involved in politics. But as someone who hardly ever watches TV (and when I do it's online so I don't have to be force-fed commercials every few minutes), watching the political debates this time around, and commentators before and after, has really gotten to me. I have come to the conclusion that it's all just sickening to me. Sickening! It's a game of he said this, and he did that, and this or that wasn't true and he doesn't smile right or her hair is messed up, and blah blah bloopideedoo. Watching any news whatsoever on the elections is more like watching a reality TV show than an informative program on where the candidates stand on real issues that should be mattering to us.

You see, I don't agree with the two party system, let alone many other important ways in which our government operates. I don't want to rant on and on discussing my views on politics in America, but I will make one main point. After reading an article discussing Robert Kuttner's opinions on the elections in the Eugene Weekly found here, I couldn't help but agree. Democrats need a progressive, not a centrist - as how our current president Obama has been defined. He is the third center-right Democrat president in a row: Carter, Clinton, Obama (and people have been talking about Andrew Cuomo or Hillary Clinton to be the next).

Though I was first appalled by finding out I missed Hawaii's mail in registration date, I am now realizing it's not the end of the world and in fact is somewhat nice to not have to deal with (though I will argue with people who don't vote solely for this reason).

To all my friends and people that know anything about me, I have done more than my share to get people educated on social issues and politics, and how to get involved in the past. From environmental and feminist groups, diversity leadership teams, feminist groups, to yes, even volunteering for OSPIRG on a rainy afternoon bugging students around campus to get registered to vote! Call me a hypocrite if you wish, but I own what and where I stand on all issues and will continue to fight for what I believe is just in this world- regardless of not voting this year.

So vote, for me.