Is this even Democracy?

Looking at Facebook today is physically painful. I live in Madison, WI currently. I have been living under quarantine here since before the state shut down; public health asked us to stay home for 14 days after we returned from Europe. My roommates and I requested absentee ballots for today’s election pretty much immediately. As a result, we received our ballots and were able to return them safely. We didn’t realize at the time that getting quarantined early would be a privilege and that thousands of voters would be left debating whether to brave being exposed to a dangerous virus in order to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

We should never opt out of voting we’re told, but with your health or life on the line which is more important? Avoiding the very immediate threat of contracting a virus that could kill you, and if not you, then likely someone you love that you spread it to or avoiding the very immediate threat of not having your voice heard in the only meaningful way for a citizen of a democracy? This choice is beyond inhumane. Here we go again, doing what Americans do best: killing each other under the guise of freedom or some other bullshit.

Being able to stay home today feels immensely lucky, and it’s the kind of lucky that no one should ever get to feel. There is no reason anyone should be forced to make this choice. There are times we’re supposed to suck it up and do the right thing and a global pandemic is one of those times; this is basic good and evil shit and I live in a state that can’t seem to stop coming up on the side of evil.