Momma always said - "If you don't vote, you've got NO right to "complain" " - Well, I'm determined to keep my bitchin' rights!!
Mark
Reminds me of one of those firehouse/EMS initiations on a newby story.
These things are pulled off only when working partners know each other so well, that everyone in the room can get it on the action.
My friend John and I were both pulling OT and in the middle of 72 hour shift. We had a trainee working with us, a young man of 21 years, who was riding along to get some ambulance clinical experience.
We would get in the habit of playing devils advocate on topics just to sucker newby's into taking an opinion, whereby they were systematically decimated by all those present.
We talked politics and went at each other for a good 30 minutes before the rookie opened his mouth.
Everyone stopped and looked dead at him, intently.
Then my friend John said, "Let's see it."
"See what?" the kid asked.
"Your voter's registration card...."
"My what?"
"Your voter's registration card. You are registered to vote, right?" I asked.
"Uh, no."
Then John get's a look on his face like George C. Scott right before he slapped the private, and goes into his diatribe,
"Then what gives you the $^#% right to render a ^$^#% opinion in this conversation? You $&%^# piss me off. Bitching and moaning about the state of things, but you're too much of a lame ^$%&$#^# to even vote? Hell, I could even accept not voting, but you're not even $&*#$$ registered. You make me sick."
The assistant chief, mocking concern, "Take it easy John, don't go off like you did the last time."
Me: "Yeah John, we don't need the cops here again. Looks bad on the department."
At this point the kid is looking a little worried.
Me: "Listen, let's just move on. But rookie, I suggest you just keep your mouth shut on political matters from now on."
John: "Hell, I don't even want the lazy SOB in the room."
So the kid leaves.
We're wondering if we overdid it, as we watch him walk off down the street. And we honestly contemplated going after him, but decided if he couldn't take the heat, well, maybe high stress life and death situations weren't for him.
It was about that time that the kid walked back in and slapped a new Voter's ID card on the table. Turn's out he walked next door to the courthouse and registered.
He looked up at John, and said, "Now, let me tell you what I think about Clinton....."
He was our new beer buddy from then on.