Gerard Way
Morning Pages: 10/04/16
Much to do. Preparing for New York Comicon and finalizing some story elements in order to get a jump on things.
I don't get my news anymore from twitter so I've had to seek other alternatives like the Apple News app but I find myself compulsively checking it sometimes. I'm working on breaking those kind of habits. I think it has a lot to do with how important this election is. I'm almost 40 and I can't remember a time in my life where voting felt so extremely vital. I, like many people, used to feel that voting didn't matter, but I've come around on it. I basically said to myself, "Let's say that you are 99% right that voting doesn't matter, but there is the 1% chance you are wrong…".
I'm voting for the 1% chance that I was wrong back in the day. I'm voting because we must do what we can. In fact, sometimes, all you have is your vote. Sure, you can be involved in other ways, like writing your elected officials, protesting, petitions, and things of that nature- and they do work sometimes, as we’ve just seen with the DEA temporarily lifting a ban on a plant that helps people that are addicted to opioids wean themselves off. This is a step in the right direction, at least for now, and maybe one day the DEA will finally break the cycle of representing the best interests of Big Pharma, as a growing number of people are becoming hip to that which has been going on for many years. Too many people are gripped in the powerful hold of prescription painkillers, and we need to seek every alternative option as the corporations continue to lobby for getting more pills in our hands. Our pain makes them rich, so they see no reason to stop. And my heart goes out to people who are caught in this situation.
But, in my opinion, I feel it comes down to the vote you are allowed. And we are allowed to vote in other ways other than politically. Disagree with some form of entertainment? You can vote by not throwing money at it. Want to see something succeed? You can do the opposite, and say it with the funds you are allowed. Vocal support can be helpful at times, but with the way the world works, the only thing the powers that be seem to understand is either cash or votes. That has been my understanding from taking note of how things do actually change over time. We need to put the right people in office. We need to support the teams and artists that speak to us.
So voting is important, and I urge you to do it. If you think it doesn't matter, just do it for the 1% chance you might be wrong.