Thread by @johnaugust

Spent Saturday afternoon registering voters with @WhenWeAllVote at Long Beach Comic-Con, and I’ve got some thoughts on dudes and democracy.

photo by @bethshax who organized the day

We were friendly but assertive, like a samples person at Wetzels Pretzels. If you looked like you were maybe 18, we asked if you were registered to vote in California.

Most people said they were. Hooray!

We signed up dozens of folks who weren’t registered or who had moved. We sent 17-year-olds to Rock The Vote where they can preregister.

But there were some dudes — all men in their 20s — who declined to register because they “weren’t political.”

We need to have a talk.

Dude, you’re at friggin comic-con. Don’t pretend you don’t care about anything. You have so many opinions! You’re swimming in them.

Do you care about minimum wage? The environment? Your health insurance?

Do you think kids should be in cages? Do you think corporations should be able to block your internet?

These are political opinions.

YOU ARE A POLITICAL PERSON.

I know it’s scary, but we’ll get through this.

Just like fandom, you don’t have to have an opinion on everything. Pick what you care about and focus on that.

And this isn’t a test. You’re allowed to cheat off smart friends.

You know who probably can help? That girl who came to comic-con with you. In my limit sampling, the women knew what’s what when their male friends didn’t.

Maybe you think all politicians are equally terrible. They’re not, but fine. Let’s say they are.

Especially in California, every election has ballot initiatives that change everything. Marijuana, college, health care.

It’s like a Twitter poll with real stakes.

In California, they’ll send you the ballot, so it’s not like you even have to leave your house. All you have to do is register.

rockthevote.org

Will voting fix everything? No.

I think there’s an important role for protest, organizing and activism. But you don’t have to do everything to do something.

Thanks for reading! If you want to organize voter registration, check out @WhenWeAllVote.

#BeltTheVote is doing it for theater. Any public event feels like a good target.