Election Day, 2004 (a.k.a. The Recount Pre-Party)

Today is Election Day here in the U.S., and it's really exciting stuff for anybody who is not completely apathetic toward politics. Personally, I enjoy elections and politics (though I do wish there was more emphasis on the issues instead of talking points) and I have fond memories of the 2000 election. It was the first semester of freshman year and I was living in Grant (a.k.a. NIU's dorm complex which is the equivalent of a ghetto). My then-roommate John and I watched it for the entire night, up until the wee hours of the morning. Of course, nothing was settled for many weeks after that, but it was an exciting night to say the least, with the election possibly turning one way or the other every minute it seemed like.

The next semester I ended up taking Political Science 100 and loved it, so I took more and more poli-sci classes until I ended up minoring in the subject. I really enjoyed all of the classes I took, particularly those focusing on international relations. I like to think that I am now better prepared to follow (and, maybe one day, enter?) politics and that I have a solid understanding of such things.

Anyway, now that I'm done giving you my biography, I guess I'll just say that you need to go out and vote if you are elgible haven't do so already.

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Read the following article if you have a chance: http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/041102/w110236.html

I haven't given out many (if any) political opinions on this site, but I must say that the fact that people living outside the U.S. (who have no citizenship here) being upset that they are not allowed to vote in the U.S. election is pretty silly. Yes, what happens in this election will have an impact on the rest of the world, but the bottom line is I don't want somebody from another country having any direct impact on the men and women who are going to be the leaders of my country. Just the same, I don't think I should be able to help choose the leaders of Germany, Great Britain, or France.

This is what gets me about international politics: the U.S. thinks everybody should just follow it blindly, while the rest of the international community (with an emphasis on most of Europe) thinks that everything should be like the UN, with votes and equal say and whatnot. Now I may be exaggerating here, but I am just worried that the notion of national sovereignty will go the way of the dodo if the E.U. were to have its way. I'm do think that the U.S. needs to make changes to its foreign policy, but I don't think we should have to give up our rights as a nation just because it would please others.

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Okay, rant over. Have a pleasant night. Don't stay up too late!

-Mark