Please Don’t Vote Blindly! | Original post and Gallery Description
Posted by Chad on Nov 4, 2008 in News/Updates, Recent work | 16 comments
*click image to link to the gallery*
UPDATE: So the election is over, but I’ve kept this up on the site because I think it’s a great idea and that’s definitely not our last election. This project was an attempt to get what I felt was an urgent idea across, and that idea was simple…Don’t vote blindly. Read below, it is the original posting I did on Nov. 3rd 2008…surprising how that’s already becoming nostalgic. Enjoy, and feel free to add to the comments, there was some good discussion from that time, and I’m sure it will continue.
Begin original post:
It’s a widely accepted statement…go vote!…My request goes a little deeper. I have been actively talking and discussing with my friends and family about this election for months now. I’ve used every outlet possible to express the importance and the weight of this decision. Through all of this I have had a prevailing concern that people aren’t thinking. People that I talk to about the candidate they choose can’t give me an answer that has ANYTHING to do with the actual issues. It’s either that or they have some insignificant reason that does nothing more than prove they haven’t looked at all.
My real problem isn’t that people don’t have information…it’s that many don’t want it, even the ones that say they do, don’t want it. I’ve never seen so many people actively working towards ignorance as I’ve seen in this election. The information is out there, and it isn’t at all difficult to find, go get it!
Do NOT go blind into the polls! If you can’t honestly say you have considered the ISSUES and the respective candidates positions on them, then you have a long night ahead of you.
Do you know what your candidate REALLY stands for?
Has your opinion been unfairly shaped by slanderous ads and email forwards which are filled with nothing but total fiction?
Is skin color or age keeping you from seeing clearly?
This really is my final plea, we’re rapidly running out of time. Please, I beg everyone to not shut their eyes, mouths, and ears…realize the immense weight of this decision, educate yourself, and think.
I’ve included links to some websites that will help you in some last minute research.
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues
The following are from UDecide2008 website:
Check the facts at Factcheck.org
Please, if you have any other sites to contribute in this list, please post a comment below and I’ll try and add it to the list.
I’ve experienced the same thing…even last night i was talking to my wife about it. Thanks for the photos and blog!
Link
but why are almost all your links (udecide2008) to a Pro-bama source? Just askin’. That kinda betrays your point.
I personally am incredibly pro-bama, but that isn’t my reason for using udecide2008 in my link list. That site, while biased, is a good quick source of factual information presented in what I believe is a very fair way. The thing that sets that site apart from many many others is that the bottom is covered with all their cited sources.
If there exists a pro-mccain source that presents information as factual as they do, please let me know, I would gladly post it, I just couldn’t find one.
Thanks for commenting, man!
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/
Think more of just the issues and not slanted either
What the military think of the election
http://www.militarytimes.com/s.....ep_2pp.pdf
Thanks for the links, but I do want to say that the military link is based on polls, which are entirely biased and created with often shady tactics. They also are polls that are trying to show the people are voting exactly in the ways I’m asking them not to. Race, culture, socieconomic status, etc. These are NOT reasons to choose a candidate.
And CNN is a whole other monster when it comes to factual information.
What an awesome sentiment. Don’t vote like it’s a popularity contest (blindly) but rather read about the issues and make an informed decision.
If only everyone would follow this advice. But I dunno, we still have a few hours to see how it all shakes out, right?
Get out and vote!
btw, am I the only one who is actually excited about the election? I woke up and it almost felt like Christmas…
I’m with you man! I woke up at like 6 and couldn’t go back to sleep…I had to rush and “open my presents” (read start reading the news).
Nice pictures Chad!
This has been an awesome election cycle!
Tony
I wish I would have found this sooner! Another great site is http://www.ontheissues.org. I’m in a class at Lakeland College, Wisconsin, that was created to follow the election and get down to the ISSUES. It’s been great, and it’s awesome to see that there really are other responsible, informed voters out there.
These pictures are brilliant. My only regret is that they didn’t come out months ago. This was how I felt about them yesterday. I viewed them with anticipation and anxiety over what they would possibly mean today. Now I see them as part of the triumph of reason, education, and hope and for that, I thank you, Chad. Thank you for providing an evolving focal point upon which to direct my feelings about these amazing days. I hope to someday show them to my children (or nieces and nephews) and say, “Look, child. See how great a nation can be.” Absolutely beautiful.
love the concept. great job~
An amazing powerful image. I really feel that if this had been seen earlier by some of the right people, this could have easily been a national ad. Maybe in 4 years…
Too many people do vote blindly OR get their news from highly questionable sources. Here’s a thought, take anything forwarded to you in email with a huge block of salt.
I discovered this when I went for early voting. I knew about the presidential candidates, but I knew very little about the state and local candidates. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for me as I struggled how to vote with little-to-no information available.
This is a great movement to support. Don’t vote blindly and please don’t vote a certain way because of how someone you know wants to you to vote.
thanks for all the great comments…while I would say that the country as a whole made the right presidential decision, I would say that many of the other newly elected officials may prove to be disappointing. This particular project wasn’t aimed at just the presidential election, but the election process in general.
It’s so funny how we never really get past the student council election processes…can’t wait to see how the GOP handles having a convicted felon in the Senate.