Got a Joke for you
What do you call a Democrat and a Republican who fall in love?
Productive!
Maybe I got a laugh or some sarcastic quip under your breadth. Something akin to “Isn’t that the truth?” who knows, but it made my circle laugh. It also started a deeper conversation. Try the joke at your next dinner party and see what happens.
The joke works both ways; no matter which cohort you place first, Dem or Rep, only your audience's worldview impacts the response. Further, it is also interesting that the juxtaposition of which party goes first will demonstrate a different reaction. No matter what they conjure up in response, I am betting your audience will feel the absurdity in the joke.
In 2023, it is preposterous that anyone identifying on the fringe of these “parties” could find love for the other after the 2020 election. The “fringes” are widening as the center narrows. This absurdity is arguably unique to this time and place in our history.
We are clearly in a time when the trust for the other side is rapidly eroding with each election. We are selecting the wrong people to lead us. We choose to be entertained instead of voting to protect our institutions and environment.
A special thanks to FOX, CNN, OAN, MSNBC, Meta, Twitter, Google, and now Tiktok for their part in the erosion of trust and critical thinking skills in America. We have to turn this noise off.
Humor lives in the dark, and the lights of this democracy are dimming with each underrepresented election. Anyone paying attention feels it. The electorate chooses to be underrepresented by sitting out of the vote. It is horrific that so many men and women died for our democracy while the 21st-century electorate feels no guilt when abstaining or just choosing not to vote. I wrote a few months back that votes should not be equal in weight, and I stick to that belief. Voting should be weighted and merit-based.
Voting is our only power, and it could be more potent than it is. But the right to vote is something more than nothing. Those who rule us, whoever they are, still want the mob to be calm and quiet, so they give us a choice to vote. The judiciary squashes our dreams if that vote is anathema to the power's true goal, but still, we must play the game of democracy. The only fear they have is the mob, and a mob cannot gather if they are at odds with each other.
Thirty-six percent (36%) of eligible voters do not vote. https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/07/12/voter-turnout-2018-2022/
…
For our democracy to survive, we need some Republicans and Democrats to fall in love. Authentic love requires compromise, and to compromise, you need trust. Trust is only built between genuine people of goodwill and character. A few congresspeople have such traits, but more are desperately needed. Today, politicians only want power. They will do whatever it takes to hold onto their sliver of power. That is not a joke. It is a cliche.
2020 Statistics
331 million people were living in America, with 239 eligible citizens. 168.31 million registered to vote, then only 155 million cast ballots. That leaves a staggering number of unrepresented citizens by their own choice.
If you were one of the 37% who voted in the last three presidential elections or one of the 46% who voted in state elections. If you are that rare 27% who votes locally, then you are indeed an American hero.
For the rest who didn't, I call you “suspect” if you abstained from voting for some bullshit protest. Your excuses mean nothing anymore, at least to this writer. Unless you are terminally ill, you have no excuse. There are no perfect solutions; all we have is debate and compromise. Even a vote for some marginal improvement is decisive; your silence and apathy are worthless to the cause of freedom.
In a country where we decide things together, compromise is the only way it will work. Less we think one side has all the answers, then prepare for Authoritarian rule—only the filthy, corrupt rich live well in such a model of government.
There are nine types of voters out there. Each archetype has different wants, desires, and needs. Here is an excellent read from a Medium author on those types. It helps to define your role in our democracy.
One Parting Joke
How do you know that our system is rigged?
Because Election Day is held during working hours and is not a paid national holiday, sorry, I lied; it is not a joke.
The truth of it, though, makes our sitting and past elected leaders laughable when they say they want an engaged electorate. Doesn't that piss you off?
Side Note: if you happen to be a comic, feel free to rewrite the joke, mangle it up, and even make fun of me in your standup, BiggaBigga P- I grant whole creative commons use to all takers —hey Isaiah McCall I am talking about you 😂
Disclaimer- The image was generated through Bing using Dalle. The writing is all done by this human. Editing is done using Grammarly. I am a grammar hack, so it is needed.
