The Pigtrial continues this coming November 1st and 10th (8am to 5pm on both days). Vigils for the pigs will be held at the same time. Please come show your support for the pigs and let the world know that compassion is not a crime!
I feel like this would be a slippery slope towards making it illegal for people to choose to not vote.
that’s already how it is in australia
That’s just so fucked up. :( Do certain medical conditions exempt you?
?????? why is it be fucked up to have compulsory voting? that’s the way it is in most democratic countries? it’s a part of being a citizen, like paying taxes and obeying speed limits? the fine for not voting is only like $50 and because of the compulsory voting law, our country bends over backwards to make it accessible: it’s always on a weekend, lasts most of the day, and is set up at schools and community centers so there’s one within easy reach of almost everybody. you can also mail your ballot or vote early if you’ll be out of the country on the day. like, IT’S EASY TO VOTE, and the penalty isn’t even that ridiculous. i don’t understand why the usa doesn’t have this, except obviously it would make it harder to literally stop minorities from voting.
I think we Americans tend to forget that a lot of other countries don’t actively work to make it harder to vote.
Adding to this here, in Australia you don’t have to vote. Or, more precisely, there’s no way they can tell if you ruined your ballot. You have to turn up, get your name marked off, but you can put a line through the ballot if you don’t think any of the candidates are worth voting for. Or do this:
Or this:
Or this:
You have get your name crossed off (if you don’t want to wear the fine), but you don’t have to make your vote counted if you’re opposed to it.
And it is so, so easy to vote. Stuck at work or on holidays? That’s fine. Do a postal vote. Stuck in hospital? That’s fine. They’ll go to you. Stuck in an old people’s home and can’t get around? Again, they’ll go to you. It’s amazing to me that it’s so hard for so many Americans to actually vote. If you make it compulsory, than at least the government is obligated to provide you with the means to vote.
And look, I get it. Sometimes I don’t want to vote either. But I suck it up, I walk three minutes down the street, and I hope that this year they’re selling lamingtons again. Oh, and I buy a democracy sausage, which, even if all the candidates suck, makes the effort of turning up pretty worthwhile.
ALSO, you can see even on the fucked up ballots that you NUMBER CANDIDATES IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE. There’s no need to calculate whether I would be throwing away my vote on the candidate that I most agree with if they’re not from a major party. I can say, I want that independent person to get in, but if not them, give me Big Party A, and if not them, that minor party person is still better that Big Party B, and I’m not giving any preference to the Lunatic Fringe Party.
Our system certainly has some issues still, but I can show up to somewhere nearby, line up for a few minutes (if at all), vote exactly in line with my values (on paper, leaving a paper trail that can be recounted), and then buy a sausage and some home made cupcakes on my way out.
A country’s voting system matters a hell of a lot and every citizen deserves one that makes it easy to vote and results in a government that is representational and accountable.
And by the way, one time I had a bad asthma flare-up on Election Day and didn’t make it to my polling station. I got my fine in the mail, I filled out the form explaining why I couldn’t vote, no more fine. I would rather have, you know, expressed my preference for who should run my country, but they were cool with the fact that I couldn’t do it that day.
“oh no, what if people actually have to participate in picking the government officials who will impact their lives” jesus christ
For the last time, for everyone who still doesn’t understand: not voting is not a tool of resistance, it’s a tool of surrender.
not voting is not a tool of resistance, it’s a tool of surrender.
#postelection | #fear: Nell’aftermath delle elezioni americane, il New York Times ha chiesto a nove artisti di disegnare e descrivere le proprie paure. Tra i lavori, c’è anche quello dell’artista nigeriana-americana Toyin Ojih Odutola:
“I fear the regression of rights and policies that protect us. But I still exist and I am still working – and that is so affirming.”
The numbers are really uncommon, to say the least, for this blog. However, this is but another reminder of the #mmiw* issue and should only compel us to keep addressing it until we have something more tangible to celebrate than fleeting social media sparks. This is an old problem, an obfuscated theme and a noble cause. Please, spread the word.
I am so proud to be one small part of this enormous movement.
But let’s not forget - and this is a reminder for myself as much as it is information for others - this is the first step on a long journey. Run for office, local or national. Volunteer for organizations in your community, or donate if you have the means. Use your privilege, if you have it, to be an ally and stand with other movements that fight for equality, visibility, or access (Black Lives Matter,CAIR,ACLU,Planned Parenthood,Sacred Stone Camp). Know your reps and program their numbers into your phone. And more importantly, be excellent to each other.
If you marched (either physically or digitally), here’s a helpful guide provided by the Women’s March organizers for 10 Actions in the first 100 Days of the new administration.
Pemanagpo Jewellery YakSo pendants made of teeth of Tibetan yak and natural pearls with sterling silver available @ pemanagpo storenow
Please read!!! yak teeth are the side product left in the skeleton of animal and taken only after the animal’s death; in other words: not a single animal was killed for the sake of taking teeth or bones. nomadic yak herding has been a vital part of Tibetan ecosystem for thousands of years. however nowadays nomadic way of living and the ecosystem of Tibetan Plateau is in danger because of Chinese policy of inhumane resettling and displacing the nomads, killing hundreds of animals, illegally stripping the nomads off their lands and traditional way of living to build their factories and bury radioactive garbage. we would like anybody who wears this yak tooth or shares this post to remember about what’s happening in Tibet, to speak out and to stand for justice, human rights and environmental protection.
As the oppressed, as marginalized, as the erased and silenced we MUST stand in solidarity with each other. From #Rojavato#Sudan, from the detention centers of Manus and Christmas Island, to all those incarcerated and imprisoned; we must be the voice of hope, love and humanity. - Hawzhin Azeez
