Exercise Your Rights: VOTE!

A big event is about to take place. No, Faithful Reader, it's not this article being written after I have finally found the time and creativity to conjure up another post. It's even bigger. It's the ultimate in bi-annual American competition. Where the stakes are high and the competitors pull out all the stops to win at all costs. No, it's not the Olympics. It's even more competitive. A fight for glory that makes Tyson and Holyfield look like a pair of school yard girls slapping each other silly. What is it, you ask? It's Election Day.

For months incumbents and prospects have been hiking across their respective states, counties and districts in the hopes of securing the title and power of their respective seats. CNN, MSNBC, Fox "News", and the rest of the cable "news" networks have been salivating over the battles for just as long; enlisting former and current politicians and countless pundits and alleged experts to dissect and analyze every single race possible. These are not civil battles. There is no polite clapping, civilized behavior, and whispered insightful analysis like you will find on the greens of Augusta. These are war zones.

If you are like me, you find this to be both an anticipated and dreaded time of year. I eagerly await election day every two years to cast my vote. This vote, like all others, decides who we as Americans feel will do the best job of representing us; who will stand for us in government and ensure our interests and well-being are the primary concerns of the government. Or, do they?

I dread this time of year because of all the ads. I don't mind if an incumbent or prospect wants to tell me what they want to accomplish in office and how they plan to accomplish it. I actually prefer this, as it helps me make an informed vote. However, over the years politicians have stopped telling us this and instead spread messages of fear, hate, and untruths. I can't tell you a single thing about what a certain U.S. House of Representative candidate for my district has done or will do; but, I can sure tell you why that candidate feels that I should not vote for his opponent and all the bad, scary things that opponent has done. Let's also ignore the fact that often the two sentence blurb about the bad, scary things is not the whole truth and nothing but the truth. In my humble opinion, not as a lawyer, but rather as a political scientist, today's political arena is filled with little more than petty individuals and fear mongers.

As a voter you should make an informed decision. Voting is not something that should be taken lightly; it is one of our most sacred rights as Americans. It is a right millions of our fellow citizens have died protecting and a right millions more across the world are currently fighting and dying to get. Exercise this right. Get out and vote. But, before you do, make sure you are casting an informed and educated vote. The stakes are too high and the result is too important not to.

The fliers, commercials, radio ads, pundits, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, Nancy Grace, George Stephanopoulous, Big Bird, and Snuffalufagus will not help you do that. Read a newspaper, look at the candidate's websites, watch the debates, talk to the candidates (if they won't talk to you and listen to you, then they don't deserve the privilege of getting your vote), and educate yourself through credible and factual means.

We all have easy access to information and debates concerning our elected legislatures, but I find that many know little or nothing about the judges that they are electing here in North Carolina. Judges are just as, if not more important, to the functioning of our government and society as the legislatures. If you are unsure of which candidate to vote for in your particular judicial race, you may find that clicking here can be a good start to educating yourself.

A friend of mine in college voted for George W. Bush because, in her words, "I thought he was cute." An uncle of mine recently went on a Tea-Partier rant on my Facebook page about how he shouldn't have to pay for someone else's health care with his taxes (even though he already does because those costs of unpaid bills get passed to the consumer). Before you vote, think about what candidate will do what's best for your entire district, state and most importantly our country as a whole. Remember, the quote is "We, the People" and not "I, the Individual."

We at Leone Noble & Seate, L.L.P. are passionate about defending your rights. You have one right, however, that can only be truly defended by exercising it. So, regardless of whether you are a member of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, a Libertarian, an Independent, a Tea Partier, or just feel the Rent is Too Damn High, get out and vote on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

Disclaimer: The views of the author are his own. The author does not endorse any particular candidate or political party. The author agrees with James Madison with regard to political parties and special interests groups, thus he is registered to vote as "unaffiliated." In the spirit of disclosure, the author has not educated himself thoroughly about the Rent is Too Damn High Party because it is not a party in his state and there is no candidate on his ballot belonging to this party. The author does know, however, that they have a very catchy theme song on their website. The author has previously informed his friends and family that if a certain former vice presidential candidate wins the presidency in 2012 he will move to Canada. The author is reconsidering his position after seeing in the video below that politics up there appear to be in no better shape.