First, let's shake them cobwebs outta your head and remember HOW our government is framed. Remember the 3 branches that make up the government of our republic? They are the LEGISLATIVE, the EXECUTIVE, and the JUDICIAL branches. First, the Legislative.
We have a Congress of Representatives (the House) and Senators, each voted upon by us, their constituants. We elect people to REPRESENT us during the formation and creation of laws and rules which will affect ALL OF US. These LAWS are made from presenting ACTS written and ready to be moved to the next branch of our great government. Keep in mind, the number of Representatives are based on geographical populations, while Senators are two per State or Commonwealth. So, your vote does matter here, it is the majority that rule when electing Representatives and Senators. But, let's not stop now, let's keep going. A new ACT has been created by Congress, an act that, for the sake of example, if pssed, creates a LAW prohibiting singing in the rain. It passed in the Senate by a slim margin, and in the House by an equally slim margin. You hate this ACT, but that is too damn bad. It goes next to the Executive branch.
This new ACT, passed by Congress as a whole, is presented to the President for his/her signature. Does the President have to be a past Representative or Senator to become President? No. Does he/she have to be a lawyer to be President? No! He or she only has to be a natural United States of America citizen (born in the USA), 31 years of age or older, and elected by a MAJORITY VOTE of the Electoral College. More on this in a minute. So, does this mean you can be President? If you were born in the USA and are at least 31 years old, YES! It could happen! And, you, too, could VETO or PASS that brand new act in front of you! Does your vote count when electing the President? Yes, it does, sorta...
Ok, now, time for you to listen up - YOU determine who is in the Electoral College, hereafter I will call EC. The EC came about because the USA got way too big to accurately count the popular vote. We didn't have cars or planes or internet or cellphones back then. Hell, the main means of travel was riverboat and horse! So, Congress adopted a thing call the EC and said that for each XX popular votes, we could send 1 EC delegate to carry our vote to Virginia. That left making the actual numbers relating to EC Delegates up to the states. In some states, for XX REPUBLICAN votes, 1 EC REPUBLICAN delegate is sent. In some states for ALL votes, XX for 1, will carry the popular MAJORITY vote. In otherwards, there may be 1000 EC Delegates, representing 90,000 actual votes, which popular vote was 20,000 REPUBLICAN, 20,000 DEMOCRAT, 20,000 GREEN and 30,000 SQUIRREL. SQUIRREL won by popular vote, so, the 1000 EC Delegates are REQUIRED to cast 1000 SQUIRREL votes in the EC. Screwy, huh? That's our system, take it or leave it.
IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT, GET CONGRESS TO OUTLAW THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. Otherwise, shut up!
Back to the rant. Now, since we see somewhat how the President is elected by YOUR vote, the existing President signs this stupid Anti-Signing in the Rain Act into LAW. Time to move on to the Judicial branch.
We have courts all the way down to Traffic Court, all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States. It is the Supreme Court who takes the new LAW signed by the President and checks to make sure that it has not violated ANY of your inalienable rights. This is where Laws are deemed unconstitutional or constitutional. Your Anti-Singing LAW has been deemed constitutionally sound, meaning it does not viotate any of you basic constitutional rights as appended to date. Your new hated Anti-Singing LAW goes into effect on the 1st of the month, today.
Aw, crap, some guy, an American Idol wanna-be, was just arrested outside the bar in the neighboring town. No one noticed, because the LAW is so stupid and insignificant the the media never mentioned it. Ever. So, he gets arrested and is going to court. He chooses to have a trial by a jury of his peers. He doesn't want to spend the rest of his life in jail, and is willing to let YOU decide his fate.
Here is where your VOTE counts the most! As a registered SQUIRREL Party voter in your home town, you get picked (randomly that is) to serve Jury Duty. Where you get selected to sit on this poor soul's trial, hearing his angelic voice as testimony, remembering you HATE the vote he was busted for.
YOUR single vote has made the difference in his life, and has REVERSED the ENTIRE SYSTEM for that one person. Your vote DOES COUNT and I hope you vote so I could conceivably have you on my jury.
I like to sing in the rain.... Old Fart, out.
(About the Author: The Old Fart is none other than Dave Etter, your 2016 AFI Army Spouse of the Year. Enough said. He's a lunatic!)
