I did it my way

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I did it my way
by Nazy Kaviani
13-Jun-2009
 

I went to vote at the only polling station designated for Northern California this afternoon.  There was a huge crowd waiting to vote.  Apparently, 800 people had voted in the morning hours and the polling station had run out of ballot sheets by noon.  Everyone was told to wait while additional ballot sheets were flown in from Los Angeles.

I waited alongside many others for several hours before I was able to cast my vote.  People were tired and upset with the inexcusable delay, but they wouldn't leave until they had voted.  Even news of Ahmadinejad's win didn't seem to deter anyone from the wait.  Several hundred people waited in lines and received tiny slips of paper which showed them entitled to receiving a ballot sheet.  I asked an official how many additional ballot sheets had been received and he said "600." So, in all 1,400 people could vote in Northern California today.  I don't know whether anyone was turned away when they ran out of the 1,400 ballot sheets, but I was determined to cast my vote, so I waited.

When I finally made it to the room at Emeryville Hilton Hotel to cast my vote, after receiving the stamp in my birth certificate, I was directed to another table where I had to leave a fingerprint on a sheet of paper in return for a ballot.  I asked the young man who was taking care of me why the event had been planned so poorly.  Afterall, a very large Iranian community lives in my area and they should have anticipated a large turnout.  The young man made some apologetic noises and went on to say:  "Well, really, I doubt any of this would make that much of a difference, as the results have already been announced."  I had bent down to ink my finger when I heard this.  Slowly I processed what I had just heard, and straightening up, I said to him:  "Young man, you have no right to say that.  You are an officer at a polling station which is still open and has to operate according to rules and regulations.  I am a voter who is participating in an election.  It is quite possibly illegal for you to tell me what you just told me.  Furthermore, it is insensitive and inappropriate of you to mock my attempt to vote in an election I see so important, and after waiting for several hours for you to get your act together.  Do you see how ridiculous your statement is?"  He said:  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that."

I voted today.  Lackluster and apparently futile, I am not sorry I did.  For all the shame and humiliation and concern I have felt over the past four years, the only thing I could do was to cast my one vote.  I could do no more and I did it.  I don't even have any hopes that my one vote would be counted correctly.  But I did the only thing I could do.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdQf_xN_DuU

 

Visit:  //www.nazykaviani.blogspot.com/

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You did good Nazy

by Monda not logged in (not verified) on Sat Jun 13, 2009 09:11 PM PDT

I second Shazde's idea. You prolific writers: Do your thing about this, please!


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Souri

Very well said Rosie

by Souri on Sat Jun 13, 2009 07:14 PM PDT

This is the best comment I have read in recent days around this subject. Your post is full of wisdom. I am very grateful to you for the time and energy you spend on this matter. I wish you would post this one in all the other similar blogs. Thank you.


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rosie is roxy is roshan

Both.voting.and.abstention.for.most.people.

by rosie is roxy is roshan on Sat Jun 13, 2009 06:44 PM PDT

here.were.choices.made.in.a.principled.way.with.the.

best.interests.of.the.country.at.heart..And.trust.me,.as.a.non-

Iranian,.the.decision.was.by.no.means.black.and.white.

The.only.people.who.did.the.wrong.thing.are.the.ones.who.,

REGARDLESS.OF.WHETHER.THEY.VOTED.OR.NOT,.are

making.fun.of.or.trying.to.hurt.other.people.for.the.choice.

they.made. They.never.made.a.principled.choice.They.are

incapable.of.dong.such.a..thing.

These.people.are.on.NO.ONE's.side.except.the.side.of.hate.

 They.have.nothing.constructive.whatsoever.to.offer.and.at

this.point.are.best.ignored.

Everyone.who.respects.the.principled.choice.of.the.others.is.

on.the.same.side.That.is.the.side.of.democracy,.it.is.the.

DEFINITION.of.democracy.

Whether.pro.or.anti-IRI.and.no.matter.to.what.degree.if

you.are.making.fun.of.other.people's.decisions,hey,.guess.

what,.newsflash,.you.are.the.Fascist.and.would.do.exactly.

what.your.'enemies".would.do.if.you.had.the.power.

You.are.not.part.of.the.future.and.have.nothing.of.value.

to.offer.it.unless.you.examine.your.conscience.AND.your.

logic--which.would.involve.keeping.your.mouth.shut.

and.your.fingers.off.the.keyboard.for.a.good.while--so.

please.do.it.

Or.go.to.some.other.website.with.a.polarized.

propagandized..agenda.and.go.plan.your.bright.Utopia.there.

with.like-minded.unprincipled.people.

Doesn't.even.matter.where.you.go.or.what.agenda.it.has.

.Flip.a.coin.Either.way.you.will.be.among.people.on.your..

side:.the.side.of.hate.


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khaleh mosheh

Clearly you did right Nazy Joon

by khaleh mosheh on Sat Jun 13, 2009 03:54 PM PDT

Shame others did not play by the rules.


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Shazde Asdola Mirza

Nazy jaan, you did the right thing, but now is the time to ...

by Shazde Asdola Mirza on Sat Jun 13, 2009 03:09 PM PDT

make some real noise and support the kids who are trying to make a difference in Iran.


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desideratum.anthropomorphized anonymous000

The admirable ...

by desideratum.anthropomorph... on Sat Jun 13, 2009 02:17 PM PDT

Nazy Jan, It is the admirable Hegalian in what you did and what any Iranian soul touched by the glitter of hope has been doing in the past few weeks that gives us the well-deserved solace after such a hard ride and fuels our engines to regroup and stay faithful to the struggle.  May we remember Emerson's words as we will stay strong and united: "The wealth of the universe is for me. Every thing is explicable and practical for me .... I am
defeated all the time; yet to victory I am born." PS: I'm sorry I didn't respond to the mystery of the alias that you asked.  That'll be for another day, perhaps when I'll have a story waiting for your powerful pen (pixel!) to tell!

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Multiple Personality Disorder

You won the election

by Multiple Personality Disorder on Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:58 AM PDT

 

Regardless of the outcome, you won the election with your tenacity and determination.


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Dear Nazy,

by MN (not verified) on Sat Jun 13, 2009 10:06 AM PDT

Dear Nazy,
Thank you for voting. I'll count it on my behalf since I have not had my pasport changed - can't afford it at this time - Now, even after the irrelevant results, had I had a passport I would have voted. Not because it made a difference but because it was the right thing to do.
MN


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Nilo Siavashi

Farah joon, it is you who is exposed as a ...

by Nilo Siavashi on Sat Jun 13, 2009 06:08 AM PDT

Nazy did what was right.  Farah joon, it is you that with your comment is exposed as a ...


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Princess

Good for you, Nazy jan.

by Princess on Sat Jun 13, 2009 05:55 AM PDT

You did what you could do, and you should be proud of it!


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default

Farah you are exposed as a ...

by Anonymous Iranian-American (not verified) on Sat Jun 13, 2009 05:49 AM PDT

Not Nazy joon but actually Farah joon, you are exposed as a ...


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Farah Rusta

Nazy joon

by Farah Rusta on Sat Jun 13, 2009 03:39 AM PDT

Who is now exposed as a ... : you or the poll box boy?

 

 

FR


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