CNN’s I’m Voting Poll

So, I took CNN's I'm Voting poll.

Maybe I think too deeply about the questions and answer choices (or maybe I think too deeply period), but some of the questions, both answers (or at least more than one) I agreed with.

An example:

"What's your opinion on Super PACs?"

Answer choices - "They corrupt the political system." or "They should be protected by the First Amendment."

My answer (out loud): "Yes." (I checked "They should be protected by the First Amendment.", for the record) Reasoning: They should be protected as an expression of speech. Sorry if you disagree or are worried about the rich corrupting the system, but they have that right as American citizens. I also believe they corrupt the political system, but blaming Super PACs for their impact is like blaming the dog you fed sausage and barbecue to this afternoon for the rank stench of their dog-farts. You could have avoided that issue by making an educated choice and not feeding the dog those things. You can avoid the corruption of the political system by Super PACs by educating yourself about the issues and the candidates. And don't just listen to Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN. Listen to all of them, then read (from all sources), then think about what makes the most sense to you. Then, formulate an opinion and be able to defend it. Don't formulate the opinion until you've done ALL of the above (not just part of it).

It's your responsibility to be the most educated and thoughtful of citizens. That doesn't mean we're all going to agree. Different opinions are what make the world work. Besides, without them, it would be boring. I leave this rant with the following quote from The American President:

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, 'You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about "the land of the free".'"

While I would never burn a flag, that is one of the best definitions of what America is that I've ever heard, read, or even written myself.