I Just Voted!

I just voted in one of the most important American elections in the history of the nation. I'm pretty pumped. As a resident of Oregon I am able to use mail-in voting and get my ballot in weeks before they are counted.

I'm dithering about whether or not to go in-depth about the specific issues that I voted on, but I will proudly say that I voted for Barack Obama to become president of the United States of America!

75,000 at Portland Obama Rally

Barack Obama held the largest rally yet for the 2008 presidential race in Portland today. 60,000 crowded into the gates of Waterfront park, with another 15,000 outside and boats and kayaks floating alongside in the Willamette. It was a beautiful, sunny evening for the event, and a perfect capstone for the hard fought campaign. Obama is hoping to have a strong showing in Oregon, which should prove to be the clincher for the Democratic nomination.

Read the event coverage:

The Washington Post
The New York Times
Official Barack Obama blog

Oregon is the largest state remaining in the contest between Clinton and Obama, and it is considered a strong supporter of the Obama campaign. Still, every vote counts in this proportional contest. If more than 70% vote Obama then he gets every vote!

So if you haven't put your ballot in the mail, walk down to a ballot box and make your voice heard.

Obama in '08!

Youth Suffrage

Even some of my closest friends may not know this, but I have always been an ardent youth suffragist. Unfortunately, most people tend to dismiss the idea of youths being part of the election process. Over time I resigned myself to quietly holding an unpopular opinion, and it was only recently that it was revived.

A thread on Something Awful's Debate and Discussion board brought up the subject of youth suffrage. There was the usual majority of people who felt that people under 18 were too ignorant and too immature to be allowed to vote, but there was also a surprising number of people who seemed sympathetic to the youth suffrage movement.

One of them linked me to the National Youth Rights Association web site, an organization that I hadn't even realized existed.

"NYRA is a national youth-led organization with over 7,000 members and chapters in a dozen states," according to the website. "We support lowering the voting age, lowering the drinking age, repealing government curfews, protecting student rights and fighting age discrimination."

I am so happy to hear that someone else out there cares for the plight of the disenfranchised youth.

The following is a short version of their reasons to lower the voting age. Please visit the link for a complete and detailed listing.

Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age

"No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a choice in the election of those who make the laws under which…we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined."

1. Youth suffer under a double standard of having adult responsibilities but not rights
2. Youth pay taxes, live under our laws, they should have the vote
3. Politicians will represent their interests if youth can vote
4. Youth have a unique perspective, they'll never have those experiences again
5. 16 is a better age to introduce voting than 18; 16 year olds are stationary
6. Lowering the Voting Age will increase voter turnout
7. If we let stupid adults vote, why not let smart youth vote?
8. Youth will vote well
9. There are no wrong votes
10. Lowering the voting age will provide an intrinsic benefit to the lives of youth