{"id":1628,"date":"2025-12-16T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=1628"},"modified":"2025-11-15T04:54:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T04:54:52","slug":"born-in-the-dsa-little-donny-dingdong-be-damned-let-everybody-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/12\/16\/born-in-the-dsa-little-donny-dingdong-be-damned-let-everybody-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"Born in the DSA*: Little Donny Dingdong Be Damned**, Let Everybody Vote"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s stop cocking around and just let people vote in peace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
* DSA stands for the Divided States of America (aka \u201cOne Nation, Divisible\u201d). Periodically, I\u2019ll be writing more specific takes on issues that are clearly wrong for this country, using the arts as context. If there are issues you\u2019d like to take up (or that you\u2019d like me to take up), let me know. As always, sorry, Boss.

** <\/sup>Hoping for posthumous damnation is a fool\u2019s errand. Better to do it now.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

This will the last post for 2025.<\/strong> I\u2019ll be back in the first week of January. For now, let\u2019s talk about voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this meh land of ours, voting has always been restricted. One by one, restrictions based on sex, creed, color, religion, land ownership, and hair color have been removed. Today, what\u2019s supposed to happen is that everyone over 18 gets to vote if they want to. It\u2019s not that anyone has the \u201cright\u201d to vote; it\u2019s just that they can. Registering to vote is not in the Constitution because, for some reason, each state has its own rules on how to handle a national election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who know nothing about the law of this country, let me restate: the individual states manage the federal election. And they\u2019ve never done particularly well at the process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a presidential election, for example, no one votes for the office of the presidency. No one, that is, except for the electors within the state. They <\/em>are who voters choose, not the actual man or woman running for office. Arcane, certainly; obsolete, definitely; popular, not at all. And yet, that\u2019s the current, keep-the-elitists-happy law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there were no electoral system, so they say, candidates would never visit county fairs in sparsely populated states. They\u2019d go where the most people are. As of 2024, the ten most populated metropolitan statistical areas in the United States are<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The total population of these ten areas alone comes to 85,662,785.<\/strong> Let\u2019s round that up to 86 million, given that the numbers are almost two years old. While this is an apples-to-oranges comparison, the most votes a candidate for president has ever received is 81.3 million, and that was President Biden in 2020. In the 2024 election, the winner received 77.3 million votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elites bend over backwards trying to justify the 250-year-old voting system put into place by countering that candidates really should have to have that apple pie in the diner in the middle of a town of 2,000 people because, you know, America. Or rather, Amurrica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s dumb.<\/strong> Other countries do democracy much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it\u2019s caused billions of wasted campaign dollars, time, health, and invited corruption from all levels. Purveyors of a kakistocracy (government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a state) see the value in it. They can manipulate laws to suit their own purpose, especially when they\u2019re craftier and shrewder than the lawmakers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the things that states like to do, even though the results affect the nation as a whole, is decide who gets to vote. Most of White America seems to hate it that Black Americans vote, for example, so they do whatever they can to make it really difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where voting is an in-person event, polling places in poor Black neighborhoods are scarcer than supermarkets (another issue, but not for this column). 40 out of 50 states reduced the number of polling places in 2020 and did so again in 2024. Somehow, though, there are a plethora of polling places in White neighborhoods with no real lines to speak of. In the Black neighborhoods, voters have to wait in line for hours, and because it is not a federal holiday, they miss work, lose wages, and feel hopeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which is the whole point of having only a smattering of polling places in Black neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also why many White folks are having cows left and right about mail-in voting.<\/strong> They do it themselves, mind you, and there has been no evidence about any voter fraud happening because of it, but the White folks hate mail-in voting. How can they intimidate voters at polling places if there are no polling places, just mailboxes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Seen at Black neighborhood polling places nationwide. Isn’t that a pleasant welcoming committee?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2002, I went to a polling place in a Black neighborhood in Alabama. Or rather, the only polling place for miles around. It was a middle school gymnasium. Parked at the only entrance was a pickup truck, complete with rednecks sitting calmly in the back. Instead of holding guns, they held cameras. They took pictures of every single person who walked in, heckling them with obscenities and warnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one took action. The police \u2014 both state and local \u2014 were conspicuously absent. They even took a picture of me. And from what they said, I\u2019m a lover of something that begins with N. I decided to take it as a compliment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of thing happens in neighborhoods across the country. The only prerequisite is that the constituents be poor and not White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s just get rid of this voting system<\/strong>. It\u2019s never really worked all that well. In fact, the current country is rated as the 26th<\/sup> best democracy in the world<\/strong><\/a>, not, as some politicians opine, the greatest country in the world. We\u2019re tucked in between Malta and Chile. Part of this particular flawed democracy is that we have White folks continually trying to stop other people from voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s just have a federal system of voting for federal office, namely the presidency and the vice-presidency. Everybody else can be subject to a state system. Let\u2019s get rid of the electoral college, which is, at best, adorable, and at worst, caused the candidate with fewer votes to somehow win the election twice in my 26-year-old son\u2019s lifetime alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s make all voting for the presidency and vice presidency done by mail. All of it. It works in Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii (the areas from which form the new country of Pacifica<\/a>, at least if you sign the Declaration of Independence); in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Vermont, and the District of Columbia (which brings up the taxation without representation argument about why DC isn\u2019t just a state already, and name it Douglass after Frederick, not Columbia after Christopher).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let the candidates just go to the most populated cities to campaign if they want. Why? BECAUSE THAT\u2019S WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE<\/strong>. Duh. The presidency is not the president of a whole bunch of land. This country was supposed to be about \u201cwe the people,\u201d not \u201cwe the cornfields.\u201d At least I read that somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No more poll tests, taxes, ID scams, or bunko artists and conspiracy theorists howling that elections are rigged without an ounce of proof.<\/strong> No more \u201celection night late coverage.\u201d Everybody votes, it takes at least a week to get all the votes counted, and then we have a result. It\u2019s not hard. It\u2019s just fair. And fairness is the enemy of concentrated power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the country\u2019s lack of fairness that ranks us #26. Lack of equity. Lack of compassion. And its love of elitist White [pseudo-]Christian power. There have been almost zero cases of voter fraud. We\u2019re not preventing anything bad (despite the lies, damn lies, and statistics being spread by right-wing media commentators) by just letting people vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our new country of Pacifica, that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to do. But until that happens, can we of the DSA just let as many people who want to vote do so without restriction? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, have a happy and safe New Year. I\u2019ll catch you on the other side, on the terrifyingly familiar day of January 6th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"Scene<\/a>
I know we’re in the middle of the holiday season, but if you haven’t picked up a gift for your favorite artist, administrator, board member, donor, or arts organization staffer, the best gift might well be a gift to encourage success. Click on the book covers above these words and pick up this inexpensive trilogy that will give them the tools to make their arts organizations succeed in the best possible way. If not, give them my phone number (425-298-6099) and I can help them throw a going-out-of-business sale. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Thanks for reading this column all the way to the end. I really do hope you’ll take me up on having a cup of coffee together. And I’m appreciative like nobody’s business to all the people who have chosen to keep my caffeine habit brewing, pun intended. If you’d like to give a holiday gift and keep the conversation going, just click on the cup. Thanks, and see you next year!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s stop cocking around and just let people vote in peace. This will the last post for 2025. I\u2019ll be back in the first week of January. For now, let\u2019s talk about voting. In this meh land of ours, voting has always been restricted. One by one, restrictions based on sex, creed, color, religion, land […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,100,40,32,28,19,18,17,99],"tags":[55,36,169],"class_list":{"0":"post-1628","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-book-recommendation","10":"category-change","11":"category-charity","12":"category-diversity-equity-inclusion","13":"category-leadership","14":"category-nonprofit","15":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","16":"category-scene-change","17":"tag-backlash","18":"tag-election","19":"tag-voting","20":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ev-votes-jpg1.jpg?fit=1075%2C779&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1669,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/01\/20\/born-in-the-dsa-the-worst-healthcare-system-in-the-world-needs-an-upgrade\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":0},"title":"Born in the DSA*: The Worst Healthcare System in the World Needs an Upgrade","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"January 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It's cheaper and more effective to keep people well than to make people well.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/born-in-the-dsa-4-universal-health.jpg?fit=800%2C581&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/born-in-the-dsa-4-universal-health.jpg?fit=800%2C581&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/born-in-the-dsa-4-universal-health.jpg?fit=800%2C581&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/born-in-the-dsa-4-universal-health.jpg?fit=800%2C581&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1492,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/09\/16\/born-in-the-dsa-remove-the-social-security-cap\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":1},"title":"Born in the DSA*: Remove the Social Security Cap","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Did you make more than $176,100 this year? Did you tell your staff that you\u2019re paying a lower Social Security tax than they are?","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Born-in-the-DSA-with-stars.jpg?fit=900%2C724&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Born-in-the-DSA-with-stars.jpg?fit=900%2C724&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Born-in-the-DSA-with-stars.jpg?fit=900%2C724&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Born-in-the-DSA-with-stars.jpg?fit=900%2C724&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1746,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/03\/17\/born-in-the-dsa-batt-crazy-leadership-does-not-happen-by-accident-and-it-can-only-be-crushed-if-we-do-it-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":2},"title":"Born in the DSA*: Bat$#^t Crazy Leadership Does Not Happen By Accident, and It Can Only Be Crushed If We Do It Together","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The popular guy in charge of the DSA is a greedy, paranoid sociopath, a malevolent narcissist, and is probably experiencing dementia. It\u2019s a tactic that works for him, even as it destroys the DSA.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Born-in-the-DSA-7-Paranoia.jpg?fit=900%2C659&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Born-in-the-DSA-7-Paranoia.jpg?fit=900%2C659&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Born-in-the-DSA-7-Paranoia.jpg?fit=900%2C659&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Born-in-the-DSA-7-Paranoia.jpg?fit=900%2C659&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1520,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/14\/born-in-the-dsa-its-time-to-outlaw-donor-advised-funds-dafs\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":3},"title":"Born in the DSA*: It\u2019s Time To Outlaw Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Pick up a phone. Go to an office. Tell your community foundations to stop crapping up America with this Ponzi scheme of contributions. And tell them (and your legislators) not to fix DAFs; just eliminate them. The abuse is too much.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Born-in-the-DSA-2-DAF.jpg?fit=1000%2C730&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Born-in-the-DSA-2-DAF.jpg?fit=1000%2C730&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Born-in-the-DSA-2-DAF.jpg?fit=1000%2C730&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Born-in-the-DSA-2-DAF.jpg?fit=1000%2C730&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1701,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/02\/19\/born-in-the-dsa-gun-nuts-have-proven-irresponsible-and-treacherous-ban-the-fg-things-already\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":4},"title":"Born in the DSA*: Gun Nuts Have Proven Irresponsible and Treacherous. Ban the F@#%&*g Things Already.","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The image of the current version of this country around the world is that of a gun-happy, murderous, fascist state in which every weapon is available to everyone who wants to shoot up a crowd. If that perception is correct, why don\u2019t we just get rid of the guns?","rel":"","context":"In "Book Recommendation"","block_context":{"text":"Book Recommendation","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/book-recommendation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Born-in-the-DSA-6-Guns.jpg?fit=990%2C728&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Born-in-the-DSA-6-Guns.jpg?fit=990%2C728&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Born-in-the-DSA-6-Guns.jpg?fit=990%2C728&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Born-in-the-DSA-6-Guns.jpg?fit=990%2C728&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":757,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/02\/13\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-you-missed-the-point-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":1628,"position":5},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: You Missed the Point. Again.","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes, you're a nonprofit. Big deal. Like tennis, if you don't serve well, it's your fault.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Tennis-ball-into-the-net.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1628"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1637,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1628\/revisions\/1637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}