I just don't understand how people can disagree with me...

A coworker of mine pointed me to this letter from Sean Penn to Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park and of Team America: World Police.

When I first started hearing about Team America, I thought it was going to be a stab at Bush and conservatives - but after hearing more about it, it sounds like it's going to offend everyone.

Anyway, Sean is mad because Trey and Matt said that if you don't have an opinion about the election, it doesn't matter if you don't vote. Which seems like a reasonable statement. I've always thought that generic "get out the vote" drives like Rock the Vote don't make sense, because if the group of people who are voting mirrors the general electorate, it will increase the number of votes but not change the outcome. The assumption, of course, is that voters will vote a certain way, and the general (but not necessarily true) conclusion is that young people will vote liberal.

So when Sean is saying that there is shame in not voting, what he means is that there is shame in not voting for Kerry. Because he can't seem to realize that some people have different opinions of the world, based on their own observations and value judgments, and that those opinions are not inherently wrong.

Sean also tells us that anyone who has a child needs to vote - playing up the patently false draft rumors. But the children who are at war now signed up for the military by choice - and most of them support Bush. So Sean is defending those who either don't want to be defended (Bush-supporting troops) or don't need to be defended (young people who aren't going to be drafted, no matter how many internet rumors the dems start).

And don't forget this:

Not so well, to encourage irresponsibility that will ultimately lead to the disembowelment, mutilation, exploitation, and death of innocent people throughout the world. The vote matters to them. No one's ignorance, indcluding a couple of hip cross-dressers, is an excuse.

He's right, of course. Which is why I'm voting for Bush, who I think will do the best job of defending the US and others against Muslim extremists who are all about killing and exploiting innocent people in a quest to kill everyone who doesn't agree with a Muslim theocracy.

Also, Mad Anthony's tip of the day: When you write a letter/memo and end it with the phrase "F**k you", don't expect to be taken seriously.