one month from today i earn my right to vote

[Ava]

i'll be 18

[Aristus]

1. Just in time, too...

You ARE registered, right? (Or will be?)

[Ava]

2. yes, already sent in my registration forms

i'm going in tomorrow to double check, and get my voter card with my polling place

[nxylas]

29. Triple-check nearer the election too

In case Roveco has figured out a way to scrub you from the voter rolls.

[jobycom]

3. You be careful with that right, young one. Many have abused it and paid dearly.

It's a responsibility, not a rite of passage, and certainly not a shortcut to adulthood, no matter what your teen-age friends may try to convince you of. Vote responsibly.

[Ava]

4. well considering i'm more informed than most of the adults around here

i don't plan on abusing it.

[jobycom]

12. Yeah, but don't let the freedom go to your head!

You're right, though. Ava with a voting card doesn't worry me in the slightest.

[Ava]

14. don't worry, i won't

and i'm going to make sure my first vote counts too!

[petronius]

5. Be careful - the sudden onslaught of maturity and wisdom that arrives when the

life-clock hits 18 can be intoxicating. It's like you wake up one day and you're a whole different person. (Also, if you plan on committing any major felonies, you should probably do it now.)

[Ava]

6. lol!

well, one month is a short amount of time to commit major felonies in.. think i'll just have to skip out on 'em.

[petronius]

7. Piffle. You'll never make much of a republican with that attitude...

(Which, obviously, is a good thing.)

[Ava]

8. if i grew up in alabama and didn't become a republican

then i don't think i'll ever become a republican

[RevolutionaryActs]

9. Ahhh my baby's all growed up!!

[Ava]

11. yeah, you old fart you

i have to figure out an affordable trip to take for my 18th. time to hit the travel sites, lol.

[RevolutionaryActs]

16. Damn kids get off my lawn!

You know it's funny about the voting the thing, in 2004 I was so excited to be 18 because I got the vote against Bush. Not for Kerry, but against Bush. This year I'm so excited because I get to vote for Obama. Which is a nice feeling.

[Ava]

17. you forgot to call me a whippersnapper

[RevolutionaryActs]

23. Dagnabbit, son of a monkey spank!

Don't be talkin' to your elders that way!

[Duppers]

24. use priceline

they're the best.

[Ava]

34. prices have gone up one everything

probably due to the economy being in the crapper. looks like i'll have to skip out on a birthday trip this year. oh well.

[Duppers]

44. jeepers. I'm sorry.

Ok, You have to make plans to do something exciting, but it's going to be hard to top your trip to Denver. That's for sure.

[Ava]

47. looks like it'll just be a chilled out weekend for my birthday, lol

i don't really want a party, so i'll probably just kick back and relax for the weekend.

[Beer Snob-50]

27. montreal canada!

my 18 yo son went there a couple of weeks ago with some of the kids from his dorm. they went to some big zoo there and sat in the monkey house drinking beer

[Ava]

60. if i could afford it, i'd love to visit canada

but right now just can't afford the trip. airfare alone is so high, and when you add in hotel costs it gets way up there.

[SeattleGirl]

10. w00t!!

Congrats, Ava!!! Hell of a first election for you!

[Ava]

13. i know! a historic election!

i'm super excited

[deucemagnet]

15. Ava, if voting rights were earned, you'd have voted in the last 2 elections.

In this country, they're just granted at 18. Even to people much less politically aware and involved than yourself.

And BTW, I'm very happy to have you voting with us this November!

[Ava]

19. thanks deucemagnet

[sakabatou]

18. And in 3 years and 1 day...

You'll be able to drink. Even though I'm 21, I chose not to drink.

[Ava]

21. the right to drink isn't a big deal to me

i really don't have the urge to drink.. it's never been all that attractive to me. voting is a big deal though.

[sakabatou]

52. Yep

My experience is that some beers taste like wine.

[Shiver]

25. Actually, you can already drink

Just not legally.

And after my first election four years ago, the hell with waiting three years, I needed to drink.

[sakabatou]

74. My friends drank when they were freshmen too

They were a leading cause of my brain scars.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. And just WHO are you voting for?

HMMM?

Lol!




Congrats on your first vote!

[Ava]

22. oh, i'm still undecided

i keed i keed!

[LostinVA]

26. Oh great, another vote for McCain & Palin

Good for you! I remember the first time I was able to vote -- only a few days after my birthday. Good for you.

[Ava]

35. it's that damn palin.. i'm obligated to vote for anything with a vagina

[lightningandsnow]

28. Yay!

Congrats.

[Ava]

36. thanks

[BreweryYardRat]

30. Congrats, kiddo.

I spent my first election ('06) trying to find a ride to the polls -- no luck. This year, I'll hopefully be giving rides to the polls.

[Ava]

38. i wish alabama had a chance of going blue

but mccain is up in the polls by 30% >_<

[BreweryYardRat]

43. Yeesh.

My sympathies.

Ah well, cast your vote, make your point, and move somewhere else ASAP. Myself, I'm thinking Seattle.

[Ava]

46. i'm thinking boston

applying to a few schools there.. hopefully that is where i'll end up

[BarenakedLady]

31. Yay

Congrats!

[Ava]

39. thanks

[graywarrior]

32. That is huge!

Congratulations!

[Ava]

40. graywarrior for president

[graywarrior]

53. Ha ha h ha ha ha ha!

President of the Psycho Ward

[conscious evolution]

33. You are not 'earning' anything

The right to vote is not something that is earned.It is an inalienable right confirmed upon you by your creater and protected by our Constitution.Anyone who says differently is full of it.

What you have earned,however,is the respect and admiration of me and many here for what you have done and endured in the name of democracy and freedom.

[Ava]

41. that's true

i just meant that when i'm 18 i'll finally be able to exercise my right to vote

[conscious evolution]

50. What an election to get to vote for the first time,huh?

Believe me,when I was your age,hardly any of my peers cared enough to vote much less get involved like you do.
Seeing your generation getting so involved gives me hope for the future.

[stuntcat]

37. omg YAY!!!

You get to vote in a very important election too!

I get such a kick out of voting, I never miss a chance, it's always an exciting day for me

[Ava]

42. i'm extremely excited.. especially since it is such an amazing election

[flvegan]

45. You know that a vote for Nader is a vote for McCain, right?

It's tempting, but don't do it.

Congrats, Ava! What a great election to have as your first vote.

[Ava]

48. i was active in the 2000 election(when i was 10)

and almost half of my life has been spent during the bush administration, which one could argue is the result of nader in 2000... don't worry, i'm not voting third party

[southpaw]

49. I'll be voting with you, Ava!

We may not turn Alabama blue, but I will proudly cast my vote as an act of defiance.

Maybe one day, with people like you at the forefront, we can make even Alabama a Democratic state again.

[Ava]

69. awesome!

[testytestors]

51. Good for you.. heartfelt gratz

[Inchworm]

54. This is now one day less

or.. 2 days less and a wake-up

[Left Is Write]

55. Whew! Just in time!

[Ava]

61. yup!

barely made it!

[av8rdave]

56. Congrats! Don't forget to get registered as soon as you can!

[Ava]

58. i already registered

[jeff30997]

57. Cool !

Too bad you're not Canadian though.3 more years to wait until you can legally buy alcohol.

Over here its 18.

But seriously I'm really happy for you.

[Ava]

59. booze really isn't a big deal to me

i know most people my age love to party and get wasted and high, but it has never appealed to me.

voting though, that's big.

[jeff30997]

62. Just teasing you Ava.

[Ava]

63. yeah, i know

party time, excellent! (better? )

[jeff30997]

65. Lol !

Ava's World.

[Ava]

67. denied!

[ZombieNixon]

64. I'm voting this thread disruptive because the new rating system will go away soon,

and the pretty colors are like candy to me.

Nevertheless. Congratulations! And just in time for the election, too, which is doubly awesome.

(Edited because "thumbus" is neither a word nor a smiley.)

[jeff30997]

66. Thumbus is not a word ???

Now I know why peoples are laughing at me when I say to a girl that it would be great

if we could thumbus together.

[Ava]

68. using your right to vote?

to vote disruptive

[ZombieNixon]

70. Damn straight!

[Ava]

71. ah ha ha.. your right was taken away

denied!

[PeaceNikki]

72. I am so glad that you're going to turn 18 before the election!

My son will miss it by a few months, but I am cornering all of his friends and not letting them beyond my foyer until I've told them to vote and bring 10 of their friends to the polls with them.

[Ava]

73. oh that sucks :( i was upset i didn't get to vote in the primary election

yup, i'm telling my friends that if they don't vote and can then they won't be my friend anymore

[patomime]

75. yes...

and you're so smart to be on this side already!

Wish I had your smarts when I was your age.

Congrats -