Today is Election Day here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with candidates for governor and lieutenant governor and attorney general on the ballot. It is also, coincidentally, Guy Fawkes Day. Yes, you could argue that Guy Fawkes Day is not "a thing" here in the U.S. of A., just like there's no voting today over in Merrye Olde Englande, but I'm aware of both, and I'm amused.
I did my civic duty this morning, by which I mean I voted, not that I conspired to blow up any legislative chambers by way of treasonous gunpowder plots. Since Virginia has recently become a battleground state and the governor's race was seen as something of a bellweather, this particular election season was wearying. And I say that purely from a passive position, avowing that I got thoroughly worn out hanging up on issues surveys and robopitches, flipping away from political ads on tv, and hiding from canvassers roaming the neighborhoods. It's very easy to bemoan the nasty, cynical nature of the whole democratic process (as perpetrated by both parties, to be sure) but I suppose I should take it as some consolation that we still have a democratic process, however flawed, rather than open violent conflict. Individuals advocating the violent overthrow of the government are still seen as fringe-dwelling wackos by the vast majority of the rest of us, thankfully.
In short, you couldn't pay me enough money to run for office in this country but I do love the country and I'm grateful that there are people willing to go through the ordeal of running for office (and governing thereafter) and providing me the opportunity of feeling engaged by tapping on a touchscreen for a few seconds on a Tuesday. Truly, it's all part of what makes America great.
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