Why I don't vote

To begin with, voting simply isn't worth the effort for a country cowardly enough to tolerate the gang-style savagery dished out to Marine recruit Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military, then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive.

Only one mainstream media outlet revealed these bloodcurdling facts. Democracy depends on an informed electorate, and an informed electorate depends on a free press. The Tharp case epitomizes the fact that America has neither.

When it comes to the top office in the land, the Electoral College makes a mockery of majority rule. In a real democracy, the winner is the candidate who gets the most votes. One man, one vote. And if it's not the Electoral College, it's multi-billion dollar corporations deciding who gets elected and what kind of legislation gets passed. Corporations are not people. America's two-party system is a sham.

So go get 'em, boys and girls. Cast those ballots, support those imperialistic wars, and by all means, flap those flags. As for me, I'll make a deal. I'll vote for the first candidate who screams bloody murder about the Tharp case. Fair enough?