Donkey Of The Day Goes To Those Refusing To Vote Because They Don’t Think Their Vote Matters

Jessica Moore (0:04)

There is no question that there are problems in this country between police and community.

Charlamagne Tha God (0:10)

Yes, you are a donkey.

Jessica Moore (0:13)

The latest on that police killing of a black man. Now the new developments in the deadly spa shooting rampage.

DJ Envy (0:18)

I mean, it was a really bad day for him, and this is what he did.

Jessica Moore (0:20)

And so we are in a state of emergency.

Charlamagne Tha God (0:24)

Okay, white supremacy and violence is and always has been the number one threat to our society.

DJ Envy (0:29)

But I'm also very proud that my wife is white.

Charlamagne Tha God (0:33)

The Breakfast Club, bitches!

Jessica Moore (0:35)

Alright, Charlamagne, please tell me, why was I your donkey of the day?

Charlamagne Tha God (0:39)

Well, Donkey of the Day for Tuesday, November 3rd, election day, goes to everybody out there who is still holding on to the idea that your vote doesn't matter. Okay? And you have zero plans to vote today. Alright? If you have zero plans to vote today, I'm talking to you. Now I want to be clear. This isn't geared towards the people who can't vote. Okay? This isn't about people who face real obstacles getting to the polls. I'm talking about this belief that elections don't affect your life. So there's no reason to pay attention. Let me repeat again. Today is election day in America. And whether you're a Democrat, Republican, independent, progressive, conservative, or somebody who doesn't trust either party, there's something we all need to understand. In the words of the good sister Nina Turner, you may not do politics, but politics will do you.

Okay? I also like to say, you may not be interested in politics, but politics is absolutely interested in you. Politics is interested in your paycheck. Okay? It's interested in your rent. It's interested in your health care. It's interested in your children's education. It's interested in your property taxes. It's interested in your reproductive rights, your neighborhood, your business, all that. Okay? Politics determines who writes the laws, who enforces the laws, and who gets to decide how your tax dollars are spent. By the way, I'm all for taxing the billionaires. I'm all for taxing the wealthy, but we need proper legislation in place to make sure those tax dollars go to where they need to go to. But guess what? That's all politics. And here's what I don't understand. We live in a country where people complain about the government every single day. You know I do. Okay? Everybody's frustrated about something. All right? The economy, the health care, the immigration, the housing, the education system, the criminal justice system. But somehow, we still have people who believe elections have absolutely nothing to do with any of those things. That's nuts to me. Okay? Explain to me how y'all have come to that conclusion. Inquiring minds would like to know. Now, I completely overstand why people are frustrated. Okay? Because these politicians be lying. Okay? These politicians be making promises they don't keep. All right? Political parties take communities, especially black communities, for granted. And sometimes it feels like no matter who's in office, ordinary people are still struggling.

Those are legitimate complaints. But here's the question. If you don't trust the people in power, why would you want less influence over who gets that power? Okay? Think about that for a second. Okay? If you believe the system is broken, then what part of sitting out in the election helps you to fix that system? Okay? And if you believe both political parties are failing you, that's a reason to demand better candidates. It's a reason to demand better policies and better accountability. But it's not a reason to stop paying attention and not participate. Okay? Have we not realized probably more than ever at any point in history that elections have consequences. Okay? We're watching decisions being made in Washington and state capitals that affect millions of Americans. And today, Americans are choosing members of Congress, governors and other elected officials who will have a say in those decisions. I'm not about to sit here and BS people though, okay? Voting is not magic. All right? Voting doesn't guarantee that your candidate will win today. Okay? It doesn't guarantee that politicians will keep their promises when elected. And it damn sure doesn't mean your responsibility ends when you leave the voting booth. Okay? Democracy requires more than showing up once every two or four years. It requires paying attention at all times. It requires organizing. You have to hold your elected officials accountable and sometimes replace them when they don't do the job. As I always tell people, if you don't have any other ideas, shut the F up forever and go vote. Okay? Your vote is one of the tools available to you that makes some change. And personally, I can't voluntarily throw that tool away while complaining that I have no power. Okay? You don't have to love a politician to understand the importance of choosing who has authority over your life. You don't have to worship a political party. You don't have to defend every decision your preferred candidate makes. Matter of fact, you shouldn't. Okay? Everyone should be challenged at all times because politicians work for the people. The people don't work for politicians. And the minute we forget that, we've already lost sight of what democracy is supposed to be. Okay? All I'm simply saying is if you're frustrated with this country, I understand. If you're disappointed in the political system, I understand that too. But don't confuse being disappointed in democracy with being powerless within it. Okay? You have a vote and that vote is your power. And even when that vote doesn't produce the outcome you wanted, it still deserves to be casted. So today, don't let anybody tell you that you have to be loyal to a party, a politician or a political personality. Be loyal to your principles. Be loyal to your community. Be loyal to the future you want to see because the government is going to make decisions that affect your life, whether you participate in the election or not. The question is whether you're going to have a say in choosing the people who make those decisions. So please give everyone who's just sitting around refusing to participate in the election today the biggest he-huh.