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A co-worker (male, 22) gave me his reasons for not voting.

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LiberalCat Donating Member (257 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:41 PM
Original message
A co-worker (male, 22) gave me his reasons for not voting.
He heard a long monolog by George Carlin that convinced him not to vote. He couldn't tell me what Carlin said.

He said he would never vote for *bush. However, he will not vote at all, because he believes that if he doesn't vote, then he can't be blamed for what the winner does; it can't be his fault.

I told him if he doesn't vote, then that is one less vote against *bush, so it would be his fault. He just repeated that, no, if he didn't vote, then it wouldn't be his fault what the winner does.

How do you reason with someone like that? Or do I just keep repeating what I said, hoping it will register with him?
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xray s Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:43 PM
Response to Original message
1. The draft notice he gets in March of 2005 will focus his mind...
...of course, by then, it will be too late.
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MuseRider Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:44 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. Very nice reply! n/t
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DURHAM D Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:44 PM
Response to Original message
2. Al lot of young men believe that if they register to vote they
are also registering for selective service. I don't know how this got out there but I have heard it from several guys.
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annabanana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:45 PM
Response to Reply #2
7. If he's over 18,
He already HAS registered with selective service.
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DURHAM D Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:56 PM
Response to Reply #7
16. By what process ?
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Columbia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:07 PM
Response to Reply #16
19. It's required by law
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DURHAM D Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:11 PM
Response to Reply #19
21. If I understand correctly - although it is required by law they
are for the most part not bothering.
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Columbia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:13 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. Tough luck getting school loans or a gov't job then
You haven't heard the commercials about the penalties of non-registration?
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DURHAM D Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:17 PM
Response to Reply #22
24. Yes, I have and they have, but they don't care.
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Columbia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:20 PM
Response to Reply #24
25. Oh well
Cross your fingers and hope it doesn't bite you in the ass later on.
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DURHAM D Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:23 PM
Response to Reply #25
26. I don't think you get it - I am a 60 year old female. This is not
about me. This is just what I hear while working to register people to vote.
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Columbia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:26 PM
Response to Reply #26
27. Ok, sorry, I misinterpreted
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annabanana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:44 PM
Response to Original message
3. Wouldn't be his fault??
What if the most evil person in the world won by JUST ONE VOTE? Then it sure as hell would be his fault!
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Vickers Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:44 PM
Response to Original message
5. "If I don't brush my teeth and they all fall out, it's no fault of mine"
"I mean, *I* didn't make them fall out, right?"

:P
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trumad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:45 PM
Response to Original message
6. Take a 2 by 4 and smack him upside the head....
Edited on Thu Sep-02-04 08:45 PM by trumad
Will it work? Who cares!
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MichiganVote Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:46 PM
Response to Original message
8. George Carlin won't be drafted but a 22 yr. old will
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kanrok Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:47 PM
Response to Original message
9. Tell him the following:
In other countries (France for instance) people who don't like their choices still shag ass over to the polls. Instead of sitting on their hands and worrying about who's "fault" it is that someone they don't like gets elected, they submit a blank ballot. Take advantage of this right. This is the way to have a voice, in a manner that is consistent with your convictions. Don't bow out. That's a cop-out.
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movonne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:47 PM
Response to Original message
10. Well, he very well be signing his own death warrant.
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EDT Donating Member (369 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:47 PM
Response to Original message
11. I'd rather a guy like that didn't vote-
Whenever I encounter big issues (there's a big local one about my town building a new school, or combining with a neighboring town to build one, that is emotional enought that the entire town angry with one another.)
if it isn't as high up on my list as other issues, I won't vote based on emotion. Voting on emotion is dangerous.

If this guy can be influenced by a monologue, I'd prefer he not vote for either candidate, as he most likely wouldn't really dig into the issues to decide about it. Convincing him to vote on emotion may do you good, but defeats the purpose of him being able to vote.
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stavka Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:51 PM
Response to Original message
12. Difficult - in the short term neither candidate offers him anything
Neither is talking about the draft, both will use it if need be...

Tell him to vote for Nader? - at least he'll lie and say he cares about youth.

Try - "Trust me, in 20 years this might make a difference"
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otohara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:53 PM
Response to Original message
13. Bush Is Counting On People Like Him
stay home suckers and I win!
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bvar22 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:53 PM
Response to Original message
14. I've heard that particular Carlin rant..... Hilarious
Tell your friend that George Carlin is a brilliant, successful, RICH comedian with accountants, tax lawyers, investment portfolios, managers, and agents. He is a corporation. He doesn't tell the TRUTH. He tells jokes for MONEY.

Don't use a comedian's act to plan your life. If Carlin believed his own act, he would have committed suicide long ago.

BTW: I am a HUGE Carlin fan.
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stavka Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 08:53 PM
Response to Original message
15. WAIT - I got it!
You know - if you were a Supreme Court Justice your vote would count, so pretend you are a Justice - they don't feel any guilt about who they voted for.
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dorktv Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:01 PM
Response to Original message
17. Tell him that means he can never complain about anything
the leaders of the country do because he did not vote for them. I heard the Carlin thing and I think he needs to be reminded that Carlin is putting on an ACT, and just because it is funny does not mean you need to take life lessons from it.

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drdtroit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:02 PM
Response to Original message
18. Take up a collection from co-workers
for his flak vest.
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lostnfound Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:08 PM
Response to Original message
20. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
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clown Donating Member (37 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:16 PM
Response to Reply #20
23. 3rd parties
Tell him to look into third parties, maybe he just feels there is no choice, and while the third parties don't have a chance to win, if enough people like him actually voted for them it could help get them media exposure. Or you can just tell him 'chicks love a man who votes'
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IronLionZion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:31 PM
Response to Original message
28. I also have friends who refuse to vote
it's unbelievable! They just don't give a shit!

One guy (he's South Vietnamese) hates both Bush and Kerry. It's obvious why he hates Bush. But he hates Kerry for fighting in the Vietnam war and then claiming to be a hero. He says Kerry is rich white bread who killed poor Vietnamese people. It's sick really.

He says he may vote for Nader so I've given up on him.
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Inland Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Sep-02-04 09:39 PM
Response to Original message
29. Here's the reasons.

I vote because nobody gives a crap about what I think any other time.

Mostly, my votes don't count in the sense they change elections. But once every year, somebody asks me my opinion, and it counts--at least in that limited question--as much as any tool's opinion. Why would I give that up?
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