The Ambivalent Electorate

Quite a few years ago, I was strolling down the street, happy as could be. Minding my own business, not a care in the world. It was a fine Fall day and honestly, I couldn't have been happier.

Suddenly, a girl scout literally jumped out of an alley and demanded:

"WILL YOU PROMISE A GIRL SCOUT THAT YOU WILL VOTE IN THE COMING ELECCTION!?!?!?!?!?"

Ye Gads....

She literally frothed all over her merit badges, so profoundly fired up was she with her civic duty to accost strangers in the street. Undoubtedly, her parents would have been proud to know that my first thought was "TINY MUGGER! TINY MUGGER!"

But she was adorable. And she was doing what she felt was right. I think this probably happened about 13 years ago or so and even now, I still feel oddly guilty about what I told her.

I told her "No. No, I will not promise you that I will vote in the upcoming election."

This was not what her troop leader promised her when she headed out this morning. She was told that she'd be spending the day reminding citizens of their civic duty for which they would undoubtedly thank her. And possibly give her a cookie. The idea that someone would actually resist her moppet charms never came up. But here I was:

"No. No, I will not promise you that I will vote in the upcoming election."

"But it's your right!" She insisted most emphatically!

"I agree," I said "It is indeed my constitutional right to choose whether or not to engage in an election. I disagree that it is my moral right to grant to proxies the power to dictate rules to people with via coercive force. I prefer to just not get involved with that. Thank you Little Girl."

And having ascertained that she was not in fact, a tiny mugger, I patted her on the head and whistling, went my way.

I think on that encounter a lot. It was the first time I'd ever been publicly called out on my political stances. And for the record, though I make light of it here, being called out by a girl scout is no laughing matter. A single girl scout has the emotional weight of a dozen grandmothers. I wonder if she ever thought about it. Was I the crazy that got away? Did I make her angry? Did I make her wonder?

Like I said, it was at least 13 years ago. She'd be well in to her twenties by now. Does she ever go to the poll and say "Well he's the best of bad choices" and then feel seriously ill?