Don't be like my sister. My mom, dad, and I sat down and looked at the ballot tonight to decide how to vote next week. My parents are at different ends of the political spectrum, but this is the only time politics are discussed. Sometime before the election my parents always gather and discuss the ballot initiatives or small races like school board, state senate, but never president as that would cause a lot of hurt feelings.
This year, there are a ton of propositions on the California ballot, and my sister is able to partake in the process. There are at least 10 ranging from some animal rights propositions, to high speed rails, to gay marriage, and a lot of energy propositions.
Here's how it went:
Prop 1A- high speed rails
Mom: yes- I saw in the paper I could get to work in 12 minutes.
Dad: yes- it is vitally needed
Sister: "yes- I like to go fast"
Me: yes
Prop 2- animal rights dealing with caged animals etc.
Mom gives some random diatribe about her views on it
Dad does the same
Sister: "animals need to stretch their legs."
Me: Huh? Isn't there more to the issue?
Sister: "would you want to live in a cage your whole life? Do you want to live where you poop?"
Me: (tries to egg her on) "Well, I live at home, and I poop at home."
Prop 7- an energy initiative
Sis: I like energy and I'm glad we have it
Me: I think it is about more than that.
Sis: Well, we need to have energy, so I'm for it.
Me: Why don't we try reading the proposition?
Mom: Yes, there's quite a bit more to it. This one is more about tax breaks for energy.
Sis: Tax breaks are good and we need energy. That's good.
Mom: There's a lot of fine print in this- you might want to take a closer look. You should really read the book and go to the polls informed. This is serious. Maybe you shouldn't be voting if you're not going to take this seriously.
Sis: Well, I like Obama.
Before we move onto prop 8 my mom makes an observation: "I can't remember a time when I've said no to so many issues."
Prop 8- the gay marriage one
My dad asks if we want to skip over this one and my mom agrees.
Sister pipes in...
Sister: "Barbie and Ken set the model here. Barbie and Ken show marriage as it truly is."
Me: "Barbie and Ken broke up and I wouldn't necessarily use plastic toys as the model to demonstrate how marriage should be. In your play world they can be anything and do anything."
Sister: (pouts) "I DON'T PLAY WITH BARBIES!!! YOU DO!!!"
Me: "I play in this world called real life and this an issue that is going to affect a lot of people"
Sister: "Someone's pushy."
Me: (joklingly say) "People may end up like helpless little Barbies afterward."
Sister: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YOU'RE FOR GAY MARRIAGE!!!"
Mom: (stares of disapproval)
Me: (tenses up and feels worried) It seems more about the general population- this would be good for all people in general in so many ways- the economy, equal rights, etc.
Sister: (becomes defensive) well, it is against the Bible, what marriage truly is, and it destroys traditionalists.
Dad: (uses his teacherly voice) ladies, gentlemen, let's move on.
Also, if you haven't already please see this post on prop 8
Please, read the big book on the initiatives and what they mean. Please, don't be like my sister. People like her bug. I'm tired of stupid people.
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