I got some mail a few weeks ago before my eighteenth birthday telling me to register to vote. The letter had a slip in there that could be mailed back to wherever the big bad government gets their mail, and so I registered to vote. I registered as an independent, though I personally find myself leaning left quite often. As an independent, I won’t get to vote in primaries for either party.

Woe is me.

But I, being the responsible citizen that I am, wanted to keep my options open, as I think that everyone (even pyscho-fascist-zealot-far-right republicans, or pinko-commie-money-stealing democrats) deserves to have their voice be heard in our society, because this is America. It is my personal belief that people not only deserve to be able to rant and rave, but they deserve for people to give them at least a second of consideration.

But that isn’t why I signed a piece of paper registering me as a voter that a lot of people would say is useless, and the only thing that I will really get out of it is jury duty.

I registered to vote, as a young citizen of our country, not because of any pseudo-patriotic calling that I felt in my soul, but rather because I think voting is essentially useless, but that won’t stop me from doing my best.

Your vote for president is unfair. As a individual voter, your vote will essentially mean nothing, ever, unless the government decides to abolish the electoral college, which it probably won’t any time soon. But I digress.

I honestly believe that if I don’t take the opportunity I am given to be a part of running my country – my home – I won’t be able to say anything when some backwards politician ruins it. And when that person gets a vote in my government, I’ll be able to say, “Hey, at least I didn’t vote for that guy.”