After Looking At This Photo

[MrsSpringsteen]

I don't know how anyone could ever take the right to vote for granted, or not exercise it. Regardless of how one feels about the war or Bush, I think this photo stands on its' own as a powerful statement

Seventy-year-old Iraqi exile Mehsin Imgoter holds his voting ballot up and begins to weep before putting it in the voting box in the Detroit suburb of Southgate, Michigan on January 28, 2005.

 

[dandy]

arrogant apathy--so many of us take it for granted that we won the only lottery that really matters--being born in a place where our basic rights and safety are pretty much guaranteed. when you haven't had to fight for your rights, it's alarming how easy it is to forget how important they are.

powerful, indeed. thanks for posting this.

 

[diamond]

Good post Gina

peace,
db9

 

[neutral]

Thanks for posting that pic.

 

[Sheltie]

Powerful

 

[DrTeeth]

Are you sure the guy wasn't just sneezing?

 

[deep]

I don't know how anyone could ever take the right to vote for granted, or not exercise it. Regardless of how one feels about the war or Bush, I think this photo stands on its' own as a powerful statement

Seventy-year-old Iraqi exile Mehsin Imgoter holds his voting ballot up and begins to weep before putting it in the voting box in the Detroit suburb of Southgate, Michigan on January 28, 2005.

I guess he is upset that there is not
an ABB selection.

 

[Vladjusha]

It's just pathetic.
Hey, I never voted in my life, was never allowed to! Of course I'm much younger than the guy. So what. And I'm not from Iraq or other place like this. I'm from the how you guys call it democratic country.
But it's fine with me. How can someone who don't have any idea how the political system works, what does it cost to rule the country successfully etc. can vote for president, parliament whatever. It's bullshit when (almost all) people make their desicion when they see ads on TV.

 

[PurpleSeven]

Seventy-year-old Iraqi exile Mehsin Imgoter holds his voting ballot up and begins to weep before putting it in the voting box in the Detroit suburb of Southgate, Michigan on January 28, 2005.

There is no greater exercise of freedom that the ability to cast your vote in a free and open election - it is a demonstration of democracy at its most pure.

In the United States, this freedom is so often ignored - and there is a monumental amount of apathy, and there are decisions made too often based upon what we are spoon fed via media outlets - but that does not diminish the fact that these freedoms are bathed in the blood of the founders - and of those which have sought to keep its sanctity.

Great post MrsSpringsteen (give my regards to Bruce)

 

[neutral]

It's just pathetic.

What is pathetic?

 

[Vladjusha]

What is pathetic?

The whole Iraq election propaganda which this picture is part of.

 

[verte76]

A powerful image.

 

[A_Wanderer]

It's just pathetic.
Hey, I never voted in my life, was never allowed to! Of course I'm much younger than the guy. So what. And I'm not from Iraq or other place like this. I'm from the how you guys call it democratic country.
But it's fine with me. How can someone who don't have any idea how the political system works, what does it cost to rule the country successfully etc. can vote for president, parliament whatever. It's bullshit when (almost all) people make their desicion when they see ads on TV.

Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried.
- Winston Churchill

 

[BVS]

It's just pathetic.
Hey, I never voted in my life, was never allowed to! Of course I'm much younger than the guy. So what. And I'm not from Iraq or other place like this. I'm from the how you guys call it democratic country.
But it's fine with me. How can someone who don't have any idea how the political system works, what does it cost to rule the country successfully etc. can vote for president, parliament whatever. It's bullshit when (almost all) people make their desicion when they see ads on TV.

I think you are going to have to explain a little better.

 

[A_Wanderer]

I think that he is saying democracy is pointless because everybody has a vote even if they are not informed.

 

[foray]

Are you sure the guy wasn't just sneezing?

Haha!

 

[Klink]

I don't understand the intention here but I can't say that this photo, while very touching, justifies the war in Iraq or George W. Bush's lies in any way. That would be pretty Machiavellian. At what price and how do we get this wonderful picture?

We do take our rights for granted and that's why it's so easy for neo-liberal and neo-conservative governments to take them away from us.

Jon

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I don't understand the intention here but I can't say that this photo, while very touching, justifies the war in Iraq or George W. Bush's lies in any way.

Uh, that wasn't my intention at all.

 

[Klink]

That's ok. That's why I said, "I don't understand the intention here...". I meant to make it very clear that I was unsure of the intention. I didn't mean to insinuate that this was your intention, just that this touching picture isn't as powerful and certain a statement to me as it seems to be for some others, particularly in the sense that Iraq is a mess right now. With today's election there will be a lot of new dead bodies showing up and a lot of people crying for a host of other reasons. This man could be upset for a lot of reasons and I'm not sure how we're sure that he's crying because he gets to cast a vote. There are a lot of possibilities here. Maybe he had family over there that was killed by Saddam or by US troops? How do we know? Again, I like the picture but it could very easily be propaganda.

Jon

 

[edgeboy]

Over 72% of the iraqi people voted today,thats a higher percentage rate than the u.s!What a great day for freedom
and democracy!

 

[ahmedadam]

The scary thing with democracy and why it is bit bad is everyone has equal power even the one who is sitting every day watching the sports and soaps and porn on the tv and stuffing their faces with Mcdonalds. What the f(*& do they know and how they make correct, informed decison. Answer is they don't. So you end up with a kind of lowest common demon leader.

This last election in the US is example. Regardless of left and right, liberal and conservative, it is surely the case that Kerry and Bush are not the supreme Americans. I am sure there are better leaders in the teams of football, baseball and also the corporate world who are better communicators and of more intelligence and charisma.

But also it is very dangerous to trust small elite group to provide leader. So is always going to be compromise.

 

[diamond]

Over 72% of the iraqi people voted today,thats a higher percentage rate than the u.s!What a great day for freedom
and democracy!

Yes this is a great day for Democracy.

All these voters in Iraq seem to be happy in have their voting rights except two who are members of Interferece.Com.

They claimed the lines were too long.

db9

 

[Tania]

We do take our rights for granted.

Maybe that is what this thread is all about.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Thanks Tania, that's all I was thinking of

 

[Klink]

I didn't intend to make any poor or offensive inferences from your post. Sorry if I offended you.

Jon

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

You didn't offend me jon (if you were talking to me) I appreciate that though, you're classy

 

[verte76]

We do take our rights for granted.

Maybe that is what this thread is all about.

I agree. We have the right to vote and too many people don't use theirs. I agree that we don't necessarily get the best candidates, but we should still vote.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

All these voters in Iraq seem to be happy in have their voting rights except two who are members of Interferece.Com.