[/caption]There is a differing opinion over whether the 2010 elections will be held considering that Cha-cha moves are under way in the House of Representatives. But I do still invest a dash of belief that the 2010 elections will be held as scheduled, thanks to the efforts of some Senators and other concerned sectors---civil society, religious sectors, international NGOs, etc. Which is why I encourage those who are not yet registered but are already qualified to vote to register now or else...you will not see the change you want in this country.
As the great Gandhi said: Be the change you want to be. Unless you want this country to be doomed eternally, do not let your vote go to waste. In the words of Conrado de Quiros:
...the wasted vote is the one you withhold from the candidate you deem deserving because “he is not going to win anyway.” That is a self-fulfilling prophecy, guaranteeing doom -- and not just for your candidate. The only thing worse than being disempowered is having the power and not knowing you do. Or worse, knowing you do and abdicating it. The vote is a great power, and it is something we hold in our hands. The victory of candidates is not written in the stars, it is written in our hearts. The victory of candidates is not foreordained, it is decided by us. We do not vote for candidates, they do not win. We vote for candidates, they win.
Even if the candidate you believe in is not a popular one, what of it? Voting is not just something you do for a candidate, it is something you do for yourself. Or to yourself. Elections are a test of character, but it is not just a test of character for the candidate, it is a test of character for the voter, too. It’s not just the candidate who’s on trial in elections, it is you, too. When you vote, you do not just decide the kind of life you want for the nation, you decide what kind of life you want for yourself. You can choose either the life of a lemming and throw yourself off a cliff because everybody is doing so or the life of a human being and act as reason and conviction tell you to.
At the end of the day, you do not just have to live with the candidate you have inflicted on the nation, you have to live with yourself and the wound you have inflicted on yourself. You can’t be true to yourself, you can’t be true to the nation. Stop complaining about this country going nowhere. There is no vote that is wasted on a candidate you believe is fit to run this country, whether he wins or not. You do not win when you vote a fool or a tyrant to office because he or she is the “strong candidate,” you lose -- even if he or she wins. Above all when he or she wins. And you do not lose when you vote for a candidate as your conscience bids, you win -- even if he or she loses. Above all if he or she loses: It is but the beginning of struggle.
The “wasted vote” is a stupid concept. You keep worrying about it, you’re wasting your time, your energy and your life.
It's entirely up to us voters. Register now!
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