Pinkeye

I got pinkeye this week. Yuck. In retrospect, playing eye-boogie dodgeball with the 1st graders was a bad idea.

But I still went to vote, at the John Horse Capture community center. They gave me two pieces of paper, one with the election ballot, and one with the referendums. I voted against I-147, the proposition to allow cyanide mining again, and was pleased when I saw it lost resoundingly. As well it should, as the ban on cyanide mining was approved by the people several years ago in a proposition. But a mining corporation put out a huge amount on money on an ad campaign to convince people that saying yes to I-147 would actually lead to safer mining.

And then I got my "Empowered Native Voter" button, and Indian fry bread and bananas. No line at all. Did you know that American Indians didn't get citizenship and voting rights in the USA until 1933? They were only here before all the rest of us.

I watched the election results, glad to be two hours behind EST so I could go to sleep early, but then Ohio was too close to call. CNN kept mentioning that there were people still voting in Knox County at 1 in the morning. I figured that had to be my alma mater, and sure enough it was. I voted for Kerry, because I felt that Bush had lied to us about the war, but I wouldn't have minded him winning again, either, since I'm still a Republican. And we picked up a few more seats in the Senate and House, which is good.

My eyes are still a little red, but I'm not infectious anymore, so I went back to school today. I was longing for a sick day before I got pinkeye, but once I was alone in the house, I got a little antsy.