Politics as lifestyle

The race is over, the election is over, it's all over. I'm sure there are many who think there's not much left to say and wonder why we keep harping on this election thing when it's about time to just let it go and move on. Well, that's the point really: moving on. It is one very critical aspect of this whole election/voting ordeal that we generally tend to overlook. Voting is all well and good, and I'm all for it, but after it is all said and done, how do we deal with the ultimate outcome?

It's all about accountability and putting actions behind your words. Whether or not you are pleased with the outcome of this election, we are all accountable. If you voted for Bush, you're accountable; if you voted for Kerry, you're still accountable; if you voted third party, or even didn't vote, ditto, you're accountable. Not just accountable for the outcome of the election, but for what happens afterward. Often the prospect of taking political initiative incites a weary sigh for the average citizen. Just making the effort of registering to vote and sending off for an absentee ballot was enough to make many of us here on campus cringe from the impending weight of obligation added to our numerous other responsibilities as students. Many of us did not even find the time to do that, much less are we keeping up-to-date with our local politics and volunteering our precious time with political organizations. Frankly, we just don't have the time to be accountable.

The point is that political involvement goes beyond voting, writing letters or volunteering. It's all about lifestyle. Your vote is a symbol of your greater statement of lifestyle, and it is meaningless if there is little in your lifestyle to bolster your vote. If you chose not to vote to make a political or religious statement, prove it to me. Let me see how your lifestyle stands as a statement against the current system. Our votes may seem to get lost in the election-day fray and ultimately be overshadowed by the electoral votes, but our statements as consumers are strikingly clear. So, back up your vote. Being conscious about where we spend our money and what we spend it on, how often we buy certain items, and what corporations or industries we support are conscious acts that should be supportive of our vote. It turns grocery shopping or buying clothes into a brazen political statement. Considering most of us eat and wear clothes on a regular basis, we are a remarkably politically active community. Consumption and lifestyle are considerably tied to politics, let your lifestyle speak for your vote; don't wither away after election-day and not take advantage of your primary role as an American consumer. It is an incredibly powerful role that deserves intentional, educated and meaningful actions.