What Are you going to do with your Second?

  Last year during the Iron Bowl (For those of you that don't know what this is, it is when Auburn University plays the University of Alabama in football - a very big thing in the Southeast US).  There was a play where Alabama used a challenge to put 1 second back on the clock.  In that 1 second Auburn won the game.  One of the themes for Auburn that has come out of it is "What will you do with your second?"

  There are infinite possibilities and what you use your second for now may be different than what you use your second for later.  The thought is that even in one second you can make a difference if you want to.  If you can make a difference with one second, what kind of difference can you make with a minute, hour, day, week, month, or year?

  We all need to realize the power that we have to make a difference in our and others lives.  Now we just need to remember that one second and make it happen.

Medical Marijuana

So this week, Florida voted down a Medical Marijuana Amendment.  I am wondering how many of those that voted against the Amendment every needed Morphine or Codeine or Vicodin or any other opioid for pain?  How can we deny people the use of a legitimate medical treatment due to some twist of history?  I am not advocating for the complete legalization of marijuana, but I do believe that its use for medicinal purposes with a doctor's prescription should definitely be legal.  There is such a stigma attached to marijuana that blinds people to this legitimate use.  I think of the people that could benefit from having it available and not being able to have access to it.  I wish those that voted "No" on the amendment, would have to look at those that are sick and their families and explain to them why they voted "No".

Elections

Today I voted!  Even stranger this was the first time that I voted at a  polling place.  For every election before today, I was out of my voting area so I voted via absentee ballot.  Today I actually got to stand in line and vote at a polling place.  Although kind of cool, it was also a bit of a let down.  We had to fill in a bubble sheet while hiding our ballot behind cardboard screens.  It reminded me of High School.

  I ask myself, we don't we not vote via the internet?  I can do all of my banking on the internet.  I can make all kinds of changes to my personal status for the military on the internet, but I can't vote.  This really seems like a missed opportunity.  Everything I hear about the mid-term election is the poor voter turn out.  Imagine if I could vote via an app.  How would that boost voter turn out and citizen engagement.  I beleive that there are some states that allow this, but it should be more widespread.

  Finally, why do we still have the Electoral College.  I understand why it was put in place.  When population was widespread with low density and getting ballots in and counted could take weeks if not months.  We don't have these problems anymore.  Why not make it a true popular vote.  Let everyone vote and just add them up.  The only people that I can see who still benefits from the Electoral College are the political parties.  They can concentrate their money and effort in the "swing" states and those with large Electoral College numbers while small and leaning states get mostly ignored.  Having a truly popular vote would help even this out.  I know that it won't happen anytime soon because just like campaign finance, the people who benefit are the ones that have to change it.  Not likely.