"And If You're Downright Disgusted"

So I was cruising through Dim Bulb's site logs, checking out where we'd been getting visitors from, and I came across a hit from a Keenspace webcomic I don't really follow but know of. Curious, I clicked on the link to see what the nature of this linkage was.

To my surprise, I found a rant angrily venting on the nature of a comic I did earlier in the current series. Seems the guy thought I was discouraging voter participation and encouraging voter apathy, or something to that effect, and he then referred to the offending comic as "trash."

Now I'll be the first to admit that not all of my comics have a lot of artistic merit, and that the jokes or writing are sometimes flat and not nearly as humorous as I'd like. But I'd hardly call anything I've done "trash," especially not that particular comic. I'm rather proud of that one, actually--it perfectly encapsulates my opinion of most politicians and the ridiculousness of most voters.

Really, the entire series I'm doing has been a satire of the current political system in the United States. I think there are some serious problems with the way we handle politics, important issues, and voter participation in this country. I also think there's something ludicrous about our tendency to complain about these things when we haven't bothered to even try to participate in the electoral process. The number of people who vote in the U.S. is staggering low, but the number of people who bitch and complain is remarkably high. My opinion is that if you didn't think it was important enough to vote on, it's not something you have a right to complain about when things don't go the way you want. Having voted in the previous national election (and against Bush), I feel I have a right to voice my displeasure with the current state of things and an obligation to make my voice heard through voting.

All that being said, the satirical storyline I've been running had a very specific purpose--make fun of politics and maybe convince people that our apathy is stupid. Jerome is not supposed to be a sympathetic character here--he's an idiot, behaving in a way that really just ignores the problems. His opinion of politics--which isn't one I recommend emulating--is expressed in his choice of party names. He calls his political party the Apathy Party because the party does not care what the voters think or want, much like the way most other politicians behave. The difference--to Jerome, anyway--is that at least he's honest about not caring about the general public.

The one sticking point is the phrase I added at the last second--"Apathy: It's the true American Way." Again, this is satire, but one aimed at the general attitude of voters. Traditionally, most American voters don't pay much attention to what's going on. We're very apathetic unless something directly effects us. We just don't care much. This is not a healthy attitude by any stretch of the imagination. The comic was supposed to act, in a way, as a wake-up call for America, a reminder that the issues and concerns of this election are exceptionally important to us as a country and as individuals. If we don't participate in this election--if we don't participate in our own governance--we're throwing away the right to criticize the government and decide how our lives will be lived.

America is a country founded on self-governance; "of the people, by the people, and for the people," as it were. If we don't actively participate in the electoral process, then apathy is truly our way, and we've lost all hope of being free-thinking, independent individuals. As much as I dislike politics, I recognize the importance of voting and of being an active constituency, and thus I heartily encourage everyone to vote for whomever they feel is right, even if that candidate is not the same one I'm voting for. Your vote could determine the direction this country takes over the next four years.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: The Beatles, "For You Blue"