The tradition is that when someone’s young, dumb, and full of naivety, you get them all hopped-up on patriotic fervor and send them to go serve in the military shooting at some hapless villagers somewhere who never did anything to them, to make someone who lives in Maryland or owns shares in Raytheon a half a billion dollars richer.

Sometimes they got wiser, but sometimes they wound up dying by the side of the road somewhere, so far from home they can’t conceive of the distance, and the wisdom came too late. Or they came back with no legs or a traumatic brain injury. Now we’re hopping those same people up on faux 1776 imagery and turning them loose on Ethel who’s volunteering at the senior center as a poll worker.

I have to say I think this way is better, because it gives them a lot gentler chance at redemption and wisdom. That’s still contingent on the hope that it doesn’t actually work, and nobody chops up Ethel, but I think this way is better. I think.

Stupidity and bravery are not the same.

That’s the point, for you to be nervous. Most places don’t have any issues, but they’re screaming pretty loud about the few that do so people won’t vote. Please vote.