I VOTED . . .
"The music of the drum of Agidigbo comes like a parody: only the wise can dance to its rhythm, and it takes the prudent to decipher its contents." Those are the words of our elders and they often pass the test ot time.
Why did I just say that?
Well, just yesterday, October 6, 2016, I drove straight to the County Building (Room 105???) of the Capital City of the Land of Lincoln and did cast my votes - national, state, and local elections. I looked at the four presidential candidates - two women and two men and voted for one. The law does not me to vote for more than one and my conscience would not permit me to skip the presidential candidates - the stake is too high on this! I also voted for one senatorial candidate and one for the House of Representatives, plus some state and local candidates. Altogether, I cast my vote for 9 candidates - I skipped a few of them - those I did not know or particularly like, all the judges, and those who had no challengers plus the single referendum that meant almost nothing to me.
Of all elections, the presidential one seemed most interesting - one Democratic (Clinton), one Republican (Trump), one Libertarian (Johnson) and one Green Party (Stein). I became an American citizen 14 years ago and the number one point the administrative judge stressed during my swearing in was the right to vote as a unique benefit of American citizenship. Since 2000, I have deliberately chosen never to skip voting at any election (and we have major elections the first Tuesdays of every November in America).
As a matter of policy, I will never vote for an individual I know does not have any chance of winning. Therefore, for the presidential candidates, I only paid attention to the two big candidates: the Democratic and the Republican nominees - Clinton and Trump. For the first time in my short involvement in the American political electioneering history, I was happy I voted against one candidate and felt guilty I had to vote for the other. It sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?
When I left the polling station, all I could say was "God bless America!" Seriously, I don't care what anyone has to say about this country - whether out of spite, scare or jealousy, this is the most sane society when it comes to the political processes. I parked my car, walked half a block, passed through the security checkpoint, went in to ask questions, had my name and address verified, received the ballot paper, walked into one of several voting booths, read through the list of candidates, marked the ones I wanted, ignored those I did not care for, slotted the ballot into a computerized recording system and my voting number came out immediately. I was Number 1,284. I walked back to my car and checked the time. Altogether, it came to 13 minutes - everything. I mean everything I just stated here. From the time I parked my car to the time I returned to drive home, it was just 13 minutes - not hours, not days, not weeks, not months - OMG!!!
My wife went later and she spent less time and yet voted for more candidates than I did.
Please be aware that the actual date for the election is November 8, more than a month ahead. Yet, if you choose to cast your vote earlier, or you want to mail in your ballot, you can do so and your effort is as real as that of anyone who will choose to vote on November 8. Why would I not say God bless America?
I cannot talk about this sane electioneering process of America without adding my insane story.
I came to the United States in August 1982 as a graduate student at Yale University. Whatever the election was I don't recall but there was going to be one. I was not used to a peaceful election, being a witness to what was known as "Operation Weeti e" in Nigeria, where thugs (we called them "hooligans" in Nigeria) came to my village and burned down houses, including the one next to my family compound because the poor villagers were not in support of the political parties in power. Anyway, I assumed all elections were supposed to be violent and so I did not go to class on that day. The problem was that the professor knew everyone in class, after all, it was a class of only three students in which I was the only foreign student. The telephone rang in my room that evening as I hid myself under the blanket in anticipation of the sound of guns and war songs. I answered the phone. It was Professor Rassner (Rossner?) asking what happened that made it impossible for me to be in the folklore class. "It's an election day, Ron," I told him. "So?" the curious professor asked. I then told him I assumed it was supposed to be violent and for that reason I did not come, just for safety reasons. My reason gave him a big laugh. "Sorry, Michael, this is the United States" was the last thing he said as he chocked in laughter. How could I ever forget that story . . .
A major election is taking place on this side of the great divide. No system is perfect, let's get that one right but when compared to a state of elctioneering anarchy, this is heaven! Believe me, this is heaven. Think about it: No one is harassing another; no one is going around the streets with machete, amulets, war songs, shotguns, burning down houses and closing down schools and public offices. No curfew is imposed because of an ordinary election. You don't need to wear bullet-proof amulets around your waist or arms, which the Yoruba call "ayeta" or machete-proof voodoo, called "okigbe." You go to work, take a few minutes of break to go and vote, that is if you did not do so before going to work. You may even choose to go and cast your own vote after work or just do like me - cast your vote several weeks before the actual date. And you know what? You can shake hands with your political opponents after the election and your arms will not become withered. Who says America is not great???
Long story, short: I have voted. Have you?
Michael O. Afolayan
From the Land of Lincoln . . .
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