This machine votes bozos out of office

Woody Guthrie, a folk-singing hero of mine who served in the merchant marine during WWII and wrote “This Land is Your Land,” used to sport a sticker on his guitar that read: This machine kills fascists. It was his nod to the power of music and its ability to bring people together in a cause. Of course, he was talking about defeating Hitler and Mussolini.

Later, his friend and devotee, Pete Seeger, expanded that thought by writing “This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces it to Surrender” on his banjo. Powerful stuff.

I’m not great at grand statements like Pete and Woody, especially when I’m playing a ukulele. I just think you should do the smallest and easiest grand gesture available to us Americans: go vote.

Voting (and I’m stating the obvious) is mighty powerful stuff. We can raise up the worthy and bring down the powerful, just by filling in little ovals or pulling a lever.

I think I’ll go get a Sharpie and write “This Machine Votes Bozos Out of Office” on my itty bitty instrument.

Election Day!

Election Day!

Troy R. Bennett

About Troy R. Bennett

Troy R. Bennett is a Buxton native and longtime Portland resident whose photojournalism has appeared in media outlets all over the world.