Me: Hey Friend! Didja vote yet?
Friend: No.
Me: hahahaha cool cool
Me: But you’re gonna, right?
Friend: No.
Me: You’re kidding.
Friend: Why do you say that with such surprise?
Me: Because voting is important and necessary for our society to continue to function?
Me, internally: And non-voters are culpable too
Friend: Well, that’s just how you see it. There are multiple perspectives, y’see-
Me: No. No, there aren’t.
Friend: Again, that’s just your point of view.
Me: No. It’s how the world works. Voting gets people elected. Those people do things like pass laws that affect who lives and who dies.
Friend: But if you don’t truly have a government of the people, and the government does something I don’t agree with… see, I don’t like that.
Me, internally: TOUGH SHIT, THAT’S LIFE
Me: And you not voting means you don’t have the opportunity to change those systems that upset or oppress you!
Me, internally: YOU ARE A DARK-SKINNED MUSLIM IN THE UNITED STATES HOW DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THIS
Friend: See, that’s your way of contributing. I contribute my own way.
Me: How? How do you contribute?
Friend: With love and kindness towards others, and blah blah more nonsense
Me, internally: And when the bombs start falling, or citizens start “disappearing”, I’m sure that will be a real comfort.