Thoughts From The Northeast Field Director
Sam Katz
2007-08-22
When people come up to the booth and start talking politics with me I usually have no idea what they’re talking about because I really don’t know shit about politics….and don’t particularly care to either. The other day someone came up and started raving about this Ron Paul guy and I kind of just nodded along and smiled, because I had absolutely no idea who he was. Kind of like what I do when someone talks about who scored the winning shot in the game last night…..I subsequently found a discarded flyer on the ground of yet another concert and he seems like he could be a pretty cool guy. But that’s neither here nor there. I feel like I should know about politics, but…. You see, I work for a charming little organization called HeadCount, I’m sure many of you are familiar with it. We essentially register voters at concerts, but it’s much more than that. I would think everyone within our scene would know HeadCount by now, but I’m still surprised when people ask “Vote for what?” and “what are you guys doing here?” I had a couple Canadians at Camp Bisco believing that we were there for four days and had set everything up just to register voters to vote for the King of Camp Bisco. I would never joke around like that with an honest, hard working American who wanted to register, but they were Canadians, so I’m sure you all understand….. The one thing I can’t stress the most about working for HeadCount and the environment where my work takes place is how much fun we all have. It’s hard to even think of this as work, and it feels good to know that you’re doing a good thing. There’s so many people who are so discontented with the current situation in our country. But many of them truly believe there’s nothing they can do about it, so why the hell should they even bother to vote? It’s hard to answer that question because I identify so strongly with it. I didn’t register until HeadCount came along in 2004 and I was at least 25 or so back then. I realized then that it was very, very important for me, and everyone else, to simply go and vote. That’s one of your basic American rights and responsibilities. It’s also easy as hell. A lot of people don’t want to register at concerts, often because they’re too fucked up, but equally as often because they think it will take too long. It takes 49 seconds if you’re a normal, sober individual. I timed it. 49 seconds. So come out and see live music and then stop by the Headcount booth if you’re not registered. It doesn’t matter if you’re 18, or if you’re 37 and embarrassed that you never registered. It’s not too late and you’re vote counts. No excuses. See you at the show.
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