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Announcing my future candidacy
Russ Page and Connor Boyack had a great idea to get everybody together in a collaborative blogging effort to talk about the importance of voting. I must admit that I have been very “disenfranchised” with our current state of affairs. Even so, I still feel that voting is important. Its one of the only ways we are still able to keep tyranny in check.
A good local example of this involves the case of Judge Leslie Lewis. After several videos appeared of the good judge using her position as a bully pulpit to berate some local hunters and to also mock Mormon baptism - Utah voters fired her. Good riddance. That’s just one small local example of the power of voting.
Edmund Burke said:
“No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”
Think about that in terms of voting. Voting can enable you to mold America into the country that you think it ought to be. So, what kind of America do you want?
I want an America where the government spends more on education than on paying interest on the national debt.
I want an America where the government doesn’t break it’s own laws.
I want an America where politicians and judges respect the constitution and follow its precepts.
I want an America where government protects our boarders and also gives immigrants a fair chance to become legal citizens of this country.
I want an America where families pray together daily.
I want an America where my kids begin every school day with the pledge of allegiance and a prayer.
I want an America where people worship God instead of Brad and Angelina.
I want an America where the churches, instead of golf courses, are filled to capacity on Sunday morning.
I want an America that can finally put its racial problems in the history books.
I want an America where an unborn child has more rights than an animal.
I want an America where people forgive and forget.
I want an America that is debt free and not beholden to foreign creditors.
I want an America where the President looks for reasons not to go to war instead of reasons to go to war.
I want an America where cable news goes out of business because their is no bad news to report and endlessly debate.
I want an America where people depend on their neighbors, church and family instead of the government in times of need.
I want an America where people can talk about religion where they want and when they want.
I want an America where husbands and wives are faithful to each other and hold their marital covenants sacred.
I want an America where “family values” isn’t a punch line.
I want an America where the cops brag about how much crime they don’t have.
I want an America where kids look forward to playing outside rather than playing with their Xbox.
I want an America where sexual deviance is shunned rather than celebrated.
I want an America where the government doesn’t continually play off the fears of terrorism.
I want an America where the government worries about its own problems more than other countries problems.
I want an America where Las Vegas is bankrupt.
I want an America where the Boy Scouts are revered.
I want an America where pornography is but a faint horrible memory.
I want an America where the ACLU actually defends civil liberties.
I want an America where politicians put country before party.
I want an America where people are more concerned about global peace than global warming.
I want an America where people know their neighbors names.
I want an America where people can afford quality health care.
I want an America where people actually support our troops rather than just say they do.
I want an America where kids can be kids rather than be drugged up on anti-ADD meds all day.
I want an America that produces movies I can be proud of.
I want an America where the single largest section of the Yellow Pages is something other than “Attorneys”.
I want an America where I don’t feel like a criminal every time I go through airport security.
I want an America where a man’s word is better than a signed contact.
I want an America where the politicians are rewarded for how much tax money they return to taxpayers.
I want an America where the American Dream is still real and achievable.
I want an America I can be proud of again.
Maybe this isn’t the kind of America you want or maybe you think I’m an idealist. Frankly, I don’t care. The idea is that in America if you try hard enough you can get what you want. Some things don’t take much effort at all - like voting.
I was once told by a wise man that I may have a future in politics. I’m not sure how it will happen but I think someday it will happen. So today I announce my run for some future office where I hope to be part of the solution rather than the problem. You can be part of the solution right now by voting. Here’s another Edmund Burke quote to think about:
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
So when will you stop doing nothing? Be heard.
[…] Chris Knudsen Possibly related posts: […]
Left by Connor’s Conundrums » Why You Should Vote on 04/16/2007[…] As a result, I began to wonder why I should even vote, and the obvious “what if everyone did that” thought came to mind, but I didn’t learn much from that thought, so I decided to put my mind into it, and here are a few of my thoughts, which I will update throughout the day. Connor, Chris and I are all writing about Why we should vote. If you’re also writing about Why we should vote, send me the link. […]
Left by Why you should vote | Russell Page on 04/16/2007You’d be a good politico, Chris (assuming you ultimately overcome the corruption that all of them face by way of good ‘ol money and power).
The contrarian in me must post, however, Freakonomics author Steven Dubner on why you SHOULDN’T vote:
“The odds that your vote will actually affect the outcome of a given election are very, very, very slim. This was documented by the economists Casey Mulligan and Charles Hunter, who analyzed more than 56,000 Congressional and state-legislative elections since 1898. For all the attention paid in the media to close elections, it turns out that they are exceedingly rare. The median margin of victory in the Congressional elections was 22 percent; in the state-legislature elections, it was 25 percent. Even in the closest elections, it is almost never the case that a single vote is pivotal.”
Dubner also says that he doesn’t know “a single economist who bothers to vote” because they consider the act so worthless.
Disclosure: I vote in presidential elections.
Left by Blake Snow on 04/16/2007[…] Chris Knudsen […]
Left by Top of the Mountains » Blog Archive » Good morning, America on 04/16/2007Mayor Knudsen of Heber?
Left by Russell Page on 04/16/2007Blake,
I make that point in my post—votes in large elections count for practically nothing.
But that isn’t a reason not to vote. To me, there is so much more to voting than actually effecting an outcome on the election. I see personal accountability in voting, and believe that I will have to one day answer for what type of leaders I supported. My vote, to me, is sacred. I use it wisely. And just because it won’t make much of a difference in no way discourages me from still using it.
My 2¢.
Left by Connor on 04/16/2007@ Blake:
I didn’t care for Freakonomics but the idea that a vote may not count for much in a national election is probably accurate.
However, I can point to numerous instances that show that voting on a local level means a lot. the example of Judge Leslie Lewis is one example. The Heber WalMart is another.
Left by Chris Knudsen on 04/16/2007@Blake
“The odds that your vote will actually affect the outcome of a given election are very, very, very slim.”
I would think that this guy would use some better logic than to simply imply outcome is the only reason a person should vote. Even the simpleton idea that “what if nobody voted” makes his statement off base.
His ill-conceived statement reflects that of one who forgets what Tomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence . . . “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”
Left by Russell Page on 04/16/2007@ Russ:
I was thinking a little bigger than that but its probably not a bad place to start out.
Left by Chris Knudsen on 04/16/2007Interesting thoughts, Chris. I am just recently getting more involved in politics. First, I volunteered to be on the City Planning Commission. This fall, I plan to run for City Council. Beyond that, who knows.
I used to think that I wouldn’t be very interested in local government. However, once I attended a few meetings and saw what kind of decisions were being made the directly impact my life, I became interested in a hurry. Eventually, I think I might be interested in moving from the city level to the state level. So far, I’m finding that city government is a great place to start.
Finally, your point about votes being important at the local level is right on the money. In my town, nobody really cared who the mayor was or who was on city council until this last year or so. After a series of decisions that go directly against what a majority of citizens want, people are beginning to realize that their individual votes are very important. There will likely be quite a bit of turnover with our city council this fall–but some damage is already done.
Left by Sean Roylance on 04/16/2007Every vote counts. If a politician suddenly sees a close race, they will - at least temporarily change their position. Of course, in most elections slightly more than 50% vote. The non-voters could swing it almost every time.
Left by Rand on 04/16/2007@ Rand:
You’re right on. Anyone who lived through the 2000 election should know that every votes counts.
Left by Chris Knudsen on 04/16/2007Chris, I want the same America that you do. Several good men have been elected with the same dream that you express. So why can’t we seem to get it right? If you want to run for office always look for the financial and power backing of your opponents. This is a warning like the warning in The Phantom of the Opera where Raoul is warned to always keep his hands at the level of his eyes.
This is my first visit to your blog. I am just following the voting trail from Ben’s and Connor’s blogs. I too wrote on voting if you are interested it’s at http://janetwalgren.wordpress.com.
Left by Janet Walgren on 04/17/2007