“Don’t forget to vote.”

I’ve been hearing this all over the place the past couple weeks, especially the past weekend. I’m sure you have, too.

I understand that this is a very important election. I understand that more than ever before, people are actually caring about the state of our nation. People who have never voted before are registering, people who have never been politically active in their lives have been coming out of the woodwork and volunteering for their preferred candidate’s campaign. I think that is absolutely wonderful.

However, the overzealousness of well, everybody, it seems, especially those “born again activists,” has not only gotten annoying but downright insulting to the intelligence of those of us who always vote, including myself.

No, I take that back. That statement can apply even to people who don’t always vote.

Seriously, folks. If one has a pulse there is no way in hell that one can “forget” to vote. Not in this election, anyway. For the past however-many-months, it’s been impossible to escape election talk. No media outlet has gone untouched. Nobody has been able to get away from it, not even Amish people. (They can see billboards, you know.)

It’s not like November 4th, 2008, a.k.a. “Election Tuesday” is going to come and go unnoticed by anyone. Nobody is going to wake up the morning of November 5th and say, “Oh CRAP!! That’s what I forgot to do yesterday! That’s why everybody was wearing those ‘I Voted’ stickers, and that’s why there were long lines outside of schools and other public buildings all day! I totally, completely forgot! Damn, I guess I’ll have to wait until 2012…”

Not. bloody. likely.

It’s not likely that if you have a TV, you won’t turn it on, and if you have eyes, you won’t see a billboard, a paper, an internet ad, a yard sign, an airplane flying overhead with a banner behind it to remind you what to do. Or if you have ears, it’s not likely that you won’t hear anybody talk about it, either on the radio, TV, or in person.

Nobody will “forget” to vote.

If somebody does not vote Tuesday, it will be a conscious choice not to, for whatever reason.

I do admire the dedication of the people I’ve seen to “get out the vote.” Three times in the past week I’ve answered the door to people standing on the porch “reminding” me about it. But please, people–don’t insult my intelligence, don’t insult the consciousness of every living person you encounter. I could remind fish to not forget to swim, or birds to not forget to fly, or Art Van to not forget to have a sale, but it’s simply not necessary.

So go vote, wear your sticker, and for the sake of those around you, shut the hell up about it.