Losing Sleep

** Warning:  I'm about to disguise an incredibly political post with a few lighthearted comments on motherhood.  Then I'm going to follow it up with an adorable picture to "buy" your vote based on love and equality.

Things I'm losing sleep over:

• The fact that my kid doesn't sleep. 
• The fact that I'm having to renew library books because I have no energy to read (I have NEVER had to renew a library book in my life and in fact am often returning them read, cover to cover, within a day or so).
• What color to paint Axel's treehouse.
• How to consume the Halloween candy so our family sugar intake is well balanced.

Things I'm not losing sleep over:

• How to vote on the proposed Minnesota Amendments!

I have found, during this political season, that while I'm losing sleep over the tasks in my every day life, I have zero time for political research.  With limited time for actual "fact digging" it's hard to wade through the BS to find where you really find yourself on the voting spectrum.  (However I would like to thank the endless flyers that bombard my mailbox for keeping the postal service in business and making GREAT fire-starters.)

It was clear to me that by VOTING NO on the marriage amendment I would be upholding my own personal beliefs and the beliefs I believe to be American, but I wasn't so sure the the voter registration amendment.  Shouldn't people be required to have a valid MN ID when voting? 

This is where I needed to call for backup.  When I couldn't invest the time myself, I needed someone who I believe shares my political opinions and thoughts for the greater good of Minnesota and this country.  Here I introduce Terry (the equally-as-great half to my friends 'Mary and Terry').  Terry tells me that by voting yes on the voter registration amendment I would be excluding several groups of people from voting.  The elderly (clearly the most politically experienced of society), the poor (equally as important and present in society), and college students (SUPER IMPORTANT GROUP of voters, some of whom are voting for the first time and should be allowed to express their fresh political energy).

I don't want to exclude these people, confuse these people or dampen their "get out and vote" energy.  It's hard enough get people willing to voice their opinion.  Bringing people out on one day a year to determine the direction of their government is what makes this country what it is.  Lets not PERMANENTLY add to our constitution an amendment dampening the democratic spirit.

The reason for the amendment is to eliminate voter fraud.  REALLY?  If you've learned anything from your email provider, despite incredible filtering logarithms, junk mail and illegal solicitation still reaches us everyday.  The proposed amendment will not eliminate fraud from the polls, it is a permanent exclusion tactic for many willing participants and only a laughable obstacle for those who intend to commit fraud.

That all being said (sorry Terry if I have butchered any of your hard earned research), I will now be confident to VOTE NO on BOTH Minnesota proposed amendments this year.

As promised, here is the photo.  You never know on which side of the amendments your children or loved ones may fall on in the future.  Don't lose sleep over something so silly.