Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Ride Your Bike to the Polls Today

I’m going to vote today.

I might even vote my values. Funny thing that. What does it mean to NOT vote ones values? I suppose the coin flip fits in there. Maybe voting for the beautiful people is another. I can’t understand how any thoughtfully (or prayerfully) placed vote would be a vote against ones values, no matter which way it was cast.

If “vote my values” does mean what Dr Dobson or my pastor thinks it means, I’m going to struggle hard today with how I don’t LIVE my values. I’ve never knowingly ridden a bike with an addicted gambler. I’ve never walked a scared teen and her nervous boyfriend to a clinic for counseling. It doesn’t take me very many fingers to count how many times I’ve dined with a gay man. For the non-South Dakotan, these are related to ballot issues.

I did interact with an “activist” federal judge once. I saw him drop a credit card in the coffee shop parking lot. I picked it up, cut in front of him in line, paid for my coffee with it, and handed it to him as he waited behind me. That was ok though, I served twice as a juror for him so he (kn)ow(e)s me. (Parts of this story are not true.)

In fact, with the exception of the pregnant teen and the boyfriend (I do have a Boy 8 and Boy 4 don’t you know), I’ve sort of arranged my life so that I can avoid these situations. I didn’t arrange things this way intentionally. I just sort of followed the path of least resistance. You know, stayed comfortable.

I will demonstrate at least two of my values today. I will vote and I will ride my bike to do it.

7 comments:

Snakebite said...

I will, too. Pay for coffee with judge's credit card AND ride my bike to vote. Part of that is not true.

Anonymous said...

The question is, is there a bike rack at your poll? There wasn't one at mine, but the bike was fine. I was temped to bring it inside....
Tim.

Anonymous said...

I haven't been riding much in the last few weeks due to having a nasty cold, but I busted the bike out today and rode to the polls!

And to answer Tim's question, there was a bike rack at my poll.

Woodog said...

I rode my bike to vote today. I can't say I was able to vote my values (compassion, justice & equity in human relations), but I did vote.

There was no bike rack at my poll. There was a smoking area, though.

Spoke-N-Sport said...

I wanted to ride my bike today. I got to see minuscar on my way to vote. He saw me too.

mytzpyk said...

I vote at a school. Plenty of bike rack available.

I signed the affidavit instead of showing ID. I'm such a rebel.

I share Woodog's values. There definitely wasn't anything on my ballot that would exercise them.

Doug said...

I rode my bike to the polling place today(nothing new, I ride it everyday everywhere I go). My polling place is at a church. No bike rack. I locked it to the gas meter on the side of the building.