Two Parties...

Election season is here in full force in Missouri. While the political climate here is not nearly as complex and active as it is in Minnesota, it is DEFINITELY personal. I don't even have a TV, and I'm bombarded with ads about the Senate race and the stem cell vote. That's a topic for another day... for now, I'd like to reflect on our political system.

For the last century and a half or more, it's been a two-party system. Republicans and Democrats, fighting for power ever since the Civil War... and even Democrats and Whigs before that. While the parties have changed over the years, the system of which they are a part has stayed the same. As someone who is on various parts of the political fence (depending on the issue), I must say that I am frustrated with it.

In 2004's presidential race, I remember contemplating my choice (among 3 possible candidates) until 2 am (or later) the night before I voted. I ended up voting for a major party candidate... thinking that my vote would actually count towards a winnable candidate. As I discussed my voting with a friend in class later that day, venting my frustrations toward the "lesser of two evils" type of system we have here in this great nation, I realized that I had been a tool in that system! I realized that a third-party candidate represented my views much more closely than either Bush or Kerry and that I should have gone that way.

We as Americans often talk about how frustrated they are that more major political parties don't exist. But we rarely challenge the existing system with our vote. While it might seem useless in the short run, it's the only way to change things in the long run. I encourage you all to stand up for what you believe in this political season and vote for the candidate that most accurately reflects your views... Democrat, Republican, Independence, Libertarian, Green, or otherwise.