Politics Are Important

          I just read chapter 30 of my U.S. History textbook.  And I thought I'd write about politics, because the words are flowing out of my ears. But, I'm keeping it short (because it's very near 1 A.M.).
          Utah stereotype -- Mormon, Republican, conservative.  None of these things am I, yet I am still often lumped into this group (though I mainly notice it at school, because school is my life right now).
          State voting stereotypes -- makes people feel hopeless for change of voting patterns.
          The freaking electoral college -- pisses me way freaking off, and makes me feel hopeless.
          The U.S. has come a long way, but we're still falling short -- immigration/emigration, women's rights (sexual, economic, etc.), minorities (I hear schools in cities/towns of minorities still give a worse education that primarily white schools, and I'm not sure why), equal opportunity, protest (basically, it feels like it's a "protest with permission" sort of thing...), education in general, separation of religion and state, etc.
          People need to realize that the president is the face of the country's political system, but not the body.  There's lots of hype about the presidential election, but election on a local level is as important as (and arguably more important than) presidential or state elections.  With the electoral college, it feels like if we don't have who we want in the local level, we won't have who we want at the county level, and then the state level, and then the federal level.
          I'm excited to be a voter.  And I'm glad I'll be able to vote for the first time right after my 18th birthday!  And the whole country should be as excited to vote -- it's a really small percentage of people (considering the number of people in this country) that actually vote, and then even smaller that don't just push along and vote for a particular party because it's what they've always done.  My girl scout troop is going to go out and do some voter registration stuff, if we can.  I encourage everyone who can to register, and to study up on your candidates.  A candidate is not necessarily his/her party.

          I encourage everyone to think about stuff.  This includes fluffy animals, books, and Twitter, if you should so wish.
          "BE UN-IRONICALLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT STUFF*" that you care about.  *John Green.