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Vote 2016: The Lesser Of All Evils
Ahhhh. Campaigning season is upon us. It’s that time of the year when a few dozen bullshit artists whip out their brushes and paint a picture of lies and broken promises across the canvas of your mind.
As of right now, it looks like our choices are either going to be Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, so for the third time in my voting career, I will not be participating in the circus that is the Presidential Election… well, the General Election anyway. I do plan on voting in the Primary. The sad part is that even though plenty of people agree that our two party system is a bit of a joke, many of them will show up at the polls on Election Day anyway. Far too often I’ve heard friends say that ‘ I’m voting for XYZ because he/she is the lesser of two evils.’ Wait! WHAT?! I’m sorry, but the lesser of two evils is still evil and with no viable third option, I refuse to vote for more of the same.
Now do us both a favor and save all the “it’s your duty as an American…” or “there are places where people don’t have the right to vote…” or my personal favorite “people died so that you could have the right to vote…”
First, it’s also my right to call bullshit when I see my government not functioning as intended or not operating in my best interest. Practicing dissent is as much of a duty as voting. If history serves my memory correctly, from the very beginning (see; Pilgrims), it has always been the people who strayed from the status quo that have had the biggest impact on changes in this country. And don’t worry, I know the rules on not voting and for those of you that don’t know the rules… if you choose not to vote, you’ve also given up your right to complain. So I’ll shut up and wait for more people to catch on to my anti-voting movement.
Second, maybe ‘Murica could take a lesson from some of these places that don’t allow people to vote. It’s amazing to me that someone with no knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, law, history or politics, can walk into a booth, pull a lever and decide the fate of a country over the next 4 years. Am I the only one that thinks that this is insane?!
I will not be participating in the circus that is the Presidential Election.
And lastly, no one died for my right to vote. They fought and died fighting for their right to vote if we’re being honest. It just so happens that I benefited from their sacrifice. Trust me when I say that I’m very appreciative of their accomplishments, which is why I refuse to haphazardly throw a vote at any lying politician that comes my way.
When you realize that this country is run by big business and lobbyist, and not the people you elect into office, you’ll begin to understand that your vote doesn’t count at all… not the vote you make at the polls, anyway. The votes that really count are the ones that you make with your wallet. Got Change?
Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital during my temporary and untimely demise in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.
You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.
Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.
My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.
Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.
From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!
Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.
Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”
I had the distinct pleasure of participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century. We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!
