Today I am going to talk about something which I have mixed feelings about. Political parties. What once began as merely a way for people to express their political views has now evolved into a system that suppresses individual thought. As our electorate becomes increasingly independent, we still have the same ultra-conservative/liberal people being elected. People have begun to forget that the system we have established is just that, our own creation.
Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of meeting with a number of representatives of state Representatives and Senators. (Kind of a letdown if you ask me, The only real politicians present where ones from our local County Council) I am a fierce Independent and in a bizarre twist of fate, I live in a fiercely Conservative area of our country in the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This leads to a battle nearly every day in Government class. A friend of mine, Kurt, and I play the roles of the Fascist Communist Pinkos. Of course, I am not Fascist, nor Communist, nor Pinko, but I appear that way because I have to stand for the issues that nobody stands up for. I am not Democratic in the least, but I am even farther Republican. Odd, right? This occasionally means that I have to support issues that I do support because there is not a single liberal in the class. Is this stupid? Am I crazy?
(Note to readers: That theme seems to accompany most of my rantings, so beware)
Why would anyone support something they do not support? If it sounds odd to you, then just look at our own government. Everyday, politicians are forced to take positions they do not agree with to show party loyalty. The question is, Is my False Positioning unusual? I don't think so. In fact, I believe that now more than ever our representatives are not being true to themselves. They are instead showing allegiance to their party. Something that I find particularly distasteful.
The first political parties were created by the Federalists and their opponents, the Democratic-Republicans. The parties' members have changed geographically several times throughout our political history. People in the South, Democratic and Republican, combined forces to combat Northern regulations and tariffs. The two groups eventually became purely Democratic, even though their political views differed substantially. Madness! Hysteria! And people still vote for whoever is in their own party, despite the fact that they don't even know what their party stands for! Isn't that just crazy! Well, I don't need to tell you that party voting is still common.
If this hasn't been said by anyone else, then I might get away with my own quote.
"War, poverty, drugs and all other problems of society spring from the same evil, Ignorance."
Remember that the next time your friend or teacher mentions the quote, and you can say quite proudly that you got it from me, The Dark Dachshund. This is The DD, and have a very happy summer! And "Vote None Of The Above" !