We at DailyKos are all committed to democracy. All of us, through our actions, have in one way or another helped to bring democracy back and restore our country to what it should be.
Today, we are having midterm elections. We have been working hard to make good candidates competitive and help get their message out, just as we have been working to get voters to engage in democracy and vote. Today is the day we THROW THE BUMS OUT (at least some of them).
I voted this morning, and while I voted I envisioned all the things I wanted my vote to stand for. I envisioned new local and national governments that are responsive to the will of the people. Govenments that will uphold the Constitution, governments that will hold themselves accountable.
I also wanted my vote to send a message to craven politicans that policy is not politics, and that the choice between safety and democracy is not a choice. There is no safety without freedom, and I will never be so afraid for my life that I would give up my freedom. I will never renounce the Constitution for material gain, real or imagined, and anyone who would do so in my name has no right to represent me in my government.
I realise that today is not the only day that I have to say these things, and that voting is just one of the ways I can effect change. I also know that whatever happens today, the battle is not over. But today is an important part of the fight. When I played sports in college, my coach would tell me to visualise not just my goal of winning, but to visualise the specific outcomes I wanted in each part of the game (I played rugby and lacrosse). And so in the voting booth, I did the same thing. I imagined specifically the things I wanted my vote to mean today as I filled in all the little circles. Each circle gets me closer to my goals, and tomorrow I will work harder to get still closer.
So, when you vote today, what will you envision? What does your vote mean to you? In short, what are you voting for today?