There's no such thing as not voting | Eric Liu

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

Why bother?

何必麻煩呢？

The game is rigged.

反正選舉被操縱了。

My vote won't count.

我的選票不算數。

The choices are terrible.

候選人都很糟。

Voting is for suckers.

笨蛋才去投票。

Perhaps you've thought some of these things.

也許你有過這些想法。

Perhaps you've even said them.

也許你甚至說過這樣的話。

And if so, you wouldn't be alone, and you wouldn't be entirely wrong.

如果這樣，你並不孤單， 你也不是完全錯的。

The game of public policy today is rigged in many ways.

在許多面向上，現今的 公共政策是被操縱的沒錯。

How else would more than half of federal tax breaks

不然怎麼會有一半以上的 聯邦所得稅寬減額

flow up to the wealthiest five percent of Americans?

都跑到美國前 5% 最有錢的人那裡？

And our choices indeed are often terrible.

我們有的選擇通常也的確都很糟。

For many people across the political spectrum,

對許多人而言，不論政治傾向，

Exhibit A is the 2016 presidential election.

證物 A 就是 2016 總統大選。

But in any year, you can look up and down the ballot

但在任何一年， 你都可以看看候選人名單，

and find plenty to be uninspired about.

找到許多不鼓舞人的選擇。

But in spite of all this, I still believe voting matters.

僅管如此，我仍然相信 投票是有意義的。

And crazy as it may sound,

雖然聽起來很瘋狂，

I believe we can revive the joy of voting.

但我相信我們可以 重新恢復投票的喜悅。

Today, I want to talk about how we can do that, and why.

今天我想談的是我們要如何 做到這點，以及為什麼。

There used to be a time in American history when voting was fun,

美國歷史上曾經有段時間， 投票是有趣的，

when it was much more than just a grim duty to show up at the polls.

那時投票不只是一定要出現 在投票所的討厭義務。

That time is called "most of American history."

那段時間叫做 「美國歷史上大部份的時間」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

From the Revolution to the Civil Rights Era,

從革命到民權時代，

the United States had a vibrant,

美國有種充滿生氣、

robustly participatory and raucous culture of voting.

堅定參與、熱鬧的投票文化。

It was street theater, open-air debates, fasting and feasting and toasting,

選舉期間有街頭戲劇、 露天辯論、禁食、盛宴和乾杯、

parades and bonfires.

遊行和篝火。

During the 19th century, immigrants and urban political machines

在十九世紀，移民和都市政治機器

helped fuel this culture of voting.

都助長了這種投票文化。

That culture grew with each successive wave of new voters.

隨著一波接一波的新選民， 那文化不斷成長。

During Reconstruction, when new African-American voters,

在美國重建時期， 新的非裔美國選民，

new African-American citizens,

新的非裔美國公民，

began to exercise their power,

開始行使他們的權力，

they celebrated in jubilee parades

他們在狂歡遊行中慶祝，

that connected emancipation with their newfound right to vote.

把解放和他們新獲得的 投票權連結起來。

A few decades later, the suffragettes

數十年後，女權運動者

brought a spirit of theatricality to their fight,

把戲劇性的精神 帶到他們的戰鬥當中，

marching together in white dresses as they claimed the franchise.

穿著白色一起遊行抗議， 索求其公民權。

And the Civil Rights Movement,

還有民權運動，

which sought to redeem the promise of equal citizenship

目的是要兌現平等公民權的承諾，

that had been betrayed by Jim Crow,

因為吉姆克勞法案背叛了它，

put voting right at the center.

而這些運動的中心就是投票。

From Freedom Summer to the march in Selma,

從自由之夏到塞爾瑪的遊行抗議，

that generation of activists knew that voting matters,

那一世代的激進分子 知道每一票都很重要，

and they knew that spectacle and the performance of power

他們也知道要能真正 獲得權力的關鍵在於

is key to actually claiming power.

壯觀場面和權力的履行。

But it's been over a half century since Selma and the Voting Rights Act,

現在距離塞爾瑪遊行 及選舉法案已經半個世紀了，

and in the decades since,

而在那時代的幾十年過後，

this face-to-face culture of voting

投票的面對面文化

has just about disappeared.

已經幾乎消失。

It's been killed by television

殺害它的兇手是電視，

and then the internet.

接著是網路。

The couch has replaced the commons.

沙發取代了公共地。

Screens have made citizens into spectators.

螢幕讓市民變成了旁觀者。

在社交媒體上分享政治笑話是很好，

And while it's nice to share political memes on social media,

that's a rather quiet kind of citizenship.

但那是種比較安靜的公民權。

It's what the sociologist Sherry Turkle calls "being alone together."

這就是社會學家雪利特克爾 所謂的「在一起孤獨」。

What we need today

我們現今所需要的，

is an electoral culture that is about being together together,

是一種選舉文化， 重點在於「在一起在一起」，

in person,

親身參與，

in loud and passionate ways,

用大聲又熱情的方式，這麼一來，

so that instead of being "eat your vegetables" or "do you duty,"

投票的感覺就不是被逼著 「吃蔬菜」或「盡公民之責」，

voting can feel more like "join the club"

而更像是「加入俱樂部」。

or, better yet, "join the party."

或更好的說法：「加入派對」。

Imagine if we had, across the country right now,

想像一下，如果現在在全國各地

in local places but nationwide,

每個當地地區，

a concerted effort to revive a face-to-face set of ways

都協商好要努力要恢復面對面的方式

to engage and electioneer:

來參與及從事競選活動：

outdoor shows in which candidates and their causes are mocked

戶外的活動，在這類活動中， 候選人和他們的理念

and praised in broad satirical style;

會被用很挖苦風格來嘲笑或讚賞；

soapbox speeches by citizens;

公民在臨時表演臺上的演說；

public debates held inside pubs;

在酒吧內舉辦的公開辯論；

streets filled with political art and handmade posters and murals;

滿是政治藝術、手做海報、 和壁畫的街道；

battle of the band concerts in which competing performers rep their candidates.

參賽者代表候選人的樂團音樂競賽。

Now, all of this may sound a little bit 18th century to you,

你們可能覺得這些聽起來 像是十八世紀的東西，

but in fact, it doesn't have to be any more 18th century

但事實上，它並不需要比…比如

than, say, Broadway's "Hamilton,"

百老匯的《漢密爾頓》…更十八世紀，

which is to say vibrantly contemporary.

它被認為是很鮮明的當代作品。

And the fact is that all around the world,

事實是，現今，全世界各地

today, millions of people are voting like this.

有數百萬人都是用這種方式在投票。

In India, elections are colorful, communal affairs.

在印度，選舉是 多采多姿的公共事務。

In Brazil, election day is a festive, carnival-type atmosphere.

在巴西，選舉日是節慶， 有著嘉年華式的氣氛。

In Taiwan and Hong Kong, there is a spectacle,

在台灣和香港，選舉的街頭戲劇

eye-popping, eye-grabbing spectacle

有著醒目又令人驚異

to the street theater of elections.

的壯觀場面。

You might ask, well, here in America, who has time for this?

你可能會問，在美國， 誰有時間做這些？

And I would tell you

我會告訴各位，

that the average American watches five hours of television a day.

美國人平均每天看電視五小時。

You might ask, who has the motivation?

你可能會問，誰有動力這樣做？

And I'll tell you,

我會告訴各位，

any citizen who wants to be seen and heard

任何想要被看見、聽見的公民，

not as a prop, not as a talking point,

不是被當支持者，不是被當話題，

but as a participant, as a creator.

而是當參與者、當創造者。

Well, how do we make this happen?

我們要如何讓這情況發生？

Simply by making it happen.

就是讓它發生。

That's why a group of colleagues and I

那就是為什麼我和一群同事

launched a new project called "The Joy of Voting."

發起了一個新的專案計畫 叫「投票的喜悅」。

In four cities across the United States --

在美國的四個城市－

Philadelphia, Miami,

費城、邁阿密、

俄亥俄州的亞克朗市、 以及堪薩斯州的威奇托－

Akron, Ohio, and Wichita, Kansas --

we've gathered together artists and activists,

我們集結了藝術家、激進份子、

educators, political folks, neighbors, everyday citizens

教育家、政治相關人士、 鄰居、日常公民，

to come together and create projects

一起合作來創造專案計畫，

that can foster this culture of voting in a local way.

來促成這個地方性方式投票的文化。

In Miami, that means all-night parties with hot DJs

在邁阿密，這就意味著 整晚的派對搭配紅牌 DJ，

where the only way to get in is to show that you're registered to vote.

只有已登記投票的人才能入場。

In Akron, it means political plays

在亞克朗，這意味著政治劇

being performed in the bed of a flatbed truck

在平板拖車的平板上演出，

that moves from neighborhood to neighborhood.

拖車則在鄰坊間巡迴。

In Philadelphia,

在費城，

it's a voting-themed scavenger hunt all throughout colonial old town.

是在整個殖民老鎮中 玩投票主題的尋寶遊戲。

And in Wichita, it's making mixtapes and live graffiti art

在威奇托，則是在北區做音樂合輯

以及現場塗鴉藝術，來鼓勵投票。

in the North End to get out the vote.

There are 20 of these projects,

有二十個專案計畫，

and they are remarkable in their beauty and their diversity,

它們的妙處和多樣性都很了不起，

and they are changing people.

它們在改變人。

Let me tell you about a couple of them.

讓我告訴各位其中幾個例子。

In Miami, we've commissioned and artist,

在邁阿密，我們委託了一位藝術家，

a young artist named Atomico,

一位年輕藝術家，名叫亞湯米可，

to create some vivid and vibrant images for a new series of "I voted" stickers.

請他為一系列新的「我已投票」 貼紙來創作生動鮮明的影像。

But the thing is, Atomico had never voted.

但重點是，亞湯米可從來沒有投票過。

He wasn't even registered.

他甚至沒有登記。

So as he got to work on creating this artwork for these stickers,

所以因為他得要為這些貼紙來創作，

he also began to get over his sense of intimidation about politics.

他也開始克服政治帶給他的威嚇感。

He got himself registered,

他去做了登記，

and then he got educated about the upcoming primary election,

接著他接受了關於 即將進行之初選的教育，

and on election day he was out there not just passing out stickers,

在選舉日，他不只出去發貼紙，

but chatting up voters and encouraging people to vote,

還和投票者親切交談， 鼓勵人們去投票，

and talking about the election with passersby.

和路人談論選舉。

In Akron, a theater company called the Wandering Aesthetics

在亞克朗，一間叫 「漂泊美感」的劇院公司

has been putting on these pickup truck plays.

一直在演映一些小貨車劇。

And to do so, they put out an open call to the public

為了做這些，他們公開向大眾喊話，

asking for speeches, monologues, dialogues, poems,

請求大家提供演說、 獨白、對話、詩、

snippets of anything that could be read aloud

任何可以被大聲朗讀出來

and woven into a performance.

並編成戲劇的素材。

They got dozens of submissions.

他們收到許多人提交的作品。

One of them was a poem

其中一件是一首詩，

written by nine students in an ESL class,

是由英語課的九個學生所寫的，

all of them Hispanic migrant workers

他們都是西班牙移民的工作者，

from nearby Hartville, Ohio.

來自附近俄亥俄州的哈特維爾。

I want to read to you from this poem.

我想把這首詩讀給大家聽。

It's called "The Joy of Voting."

它叫「投票的喜悅」。

"I would like to vote for the first time

「我第一次想要去投票，

因為對西班牙人而言，改變在發生。

because things are changing for Hispanics.

I used to be afraid of ghosts.

我以前會害怕鬼。

Now I am afraid of people.

現在我害怕的是人。

There's more violence and racism.

人有更多的暴力和種族主義。

Voting can change this.

投票能改變這個狀況。

The border wall is nothing.

邊界的牆不值得注意。

It's just a wall.

它只是一道牆。

The wall of shame is something.

羞恥的牆就值得注意了。

It's very important to vote

投票非常重要，

so we can break down this wall of shame.

這樣我們才能拆掉羞恥的牆。

I have passion in my heart.

我的心中有著熱情。

Voting gives me a voice and power.

投票給予我聲音和力量。

I can stand up and do something."

我可以站起來做出行動。」

"The Joy of Voting" project isn't just about joy.

「投票的喜悅」計畫 重點並不只是喜悅。

It's about this passion.

它的重點是這種熱情。

It's about feeling and belief,

它的重點是感受和信念，

and it isn't just our organization's work.

它不只是我們這個組織的工作。

All across this country right now,

現在，全國各地的

immigrants, young people, veterans, people of all different backgrounds

移民、年輕人、退伍軍人、 各種不同背景的人，

are coming together to create this kind of passionate, joyful activity

都一起合作創造這種 關於選舉的熱情、

around elections,

喜悅的活動，

in red and blue states, in urban and rural communities,

不論偏紅或偏藍的州、 市區和鄉村社區，

people of every political background.

各種政治背景的人都參與了。

What they have in common is simply this:

他們的共同點很單純，就是：

their work is rooted in place.

他們所做的都根植在地方。

Because remember, all citizenship is local.

因為，切記，所有的 公民權都是地方性的。

When politics becomes just a presidential election,

當政治變成只是總統選舉時，

we yell and we scream at our screens, and then we collapse, exhausted.

我們對著螢幕大叫大喊， 接著我們崩潰了、累壞了。

But when politics is about us

但當政治變成是讓我們、

and our neighbors and other people in our community

我們的鄰居，和社區中的其他人

coming together to create experiences of collective voice and imagination,

同心協力一起創造 集體聲音和想像的經驗時，

then we begin to remember that this stuff matters.

我們就會開始記起它的重要性。

We begin to remember that this is the stuff of self-government.

我們會開始記得，這就是自治。

Which brings me back to where I began.

這就回到一開始的問題。

Why bother?

何必麻煩呢？

There's one way to answer this question.

這個問題，有種方式可以回答。

Voting matters because it is a self-fulfilling act of belief.

投票是有意義的， 因為它是信念的自我實現行為。

It feeds the spirit of mutual interest that makes any society thrive.

它支撐著相互利益的精神， 而正是這種精神讓社會興盛。

When we vote, even if it is in anger,

當我們投票時，即使是出於憤怒而投，

we are part of a collective, creative leap of faith.

我們也是那個做出 信心一躍的集體的一部份。

Voting helps us generate the very power that we wish we had.

投票協助我們產生出 我們希望能擁有的力量。

It's no accident that democracy and theater

在古雅典，民主和戲劇

emerged around the same time in ancient Athens.

大約在同時期出現，並不是巧合。

Both of them yank the individual out of the enclosure of her private self.

兩者都把人們從他們 個人的圍欄中給拉出來。

Both of them create great public experiences of shared ritual.

兩者都創造了很棒的公眾經驗， 共同儀式的經驗。

Both of them bring the imagination to life

兩者都讓想像能活起來，

in ways that remind us that all of our bonds in the end

提醒我們，我們所有的束縛 最終都只是想像的，

are imagined, and can be reimagined.

因此能夠被重新想像。

This moment right now,

現在這個時刻，

when we think about the meaning of imagination,

當我們去思考一下想像的意義，

is so fundamentally important,

它在根本上的重要性非常高，

and our ability to take that spirit

而我們能夠擁有那種精神的能力，

and to take that sense

意識到外面還有

that there is something greater out there,

更偉大的東西的能力，

is not just a matter of technical expertise.

並不只是技術專長的問題。

It's not just a matter of making the time or having the know-how.

它不只是騰出時間 或擁有知識的問題。

It is a matter of spirit.

它是精神的問題。

But let me give you an answer to this question, "Why bother?"

對於「何必麻煩呢？」這個問題， 讓我給各位一個答案。

that is maybe a little less spiritual and a bit more pointed.

這個答案可能比較不是 精神性的，比較尖銳一點。

Why bother voting?

何必麻煩去投票呢？

Because there is no such thing as not voting.

因為沒有所謂「不投票」這件事。

Not voting is voting,

不投票就是一種投票，

for everything that you may detest and oppose.

投給你所厭惡、反對的一切。

Not voting can be dressed up

不投票可以被包裝成

as an act of principled, passive resistance,

有原則之被動抗拒的行為，

but in fact not voting

但事實上，不投票

is actively handing power over

就是主動把權力交給

to those whose interests are counter to your own,

那些利益和你相反的人，

and those who would be very glad to take advantage of your absence.

那些會非常高興你不出席 讓他們能佔你便宜的人。

Not voting is for suckers.

笨蛋才不去投票。

Imagine where this country would be

想像一下這個國家會變什麼樣子，

if all the folks who in 2010 created the Tea Party

如果在 2010 年茶黨的創建人

had decided that, you know, politics is too messy,

覺得政治太亂七八糟了，

voting is too complicated.

投票太複雜了。

There is no possibility of our votes adding up to anything.

我們的投票不可能 有機會造成任何影響。

They didn't preemptively silence themselves.

但他們並沒有先讓自己沉默。

They showed up,

他們露面了，

and in the course of showing up, they changed American politics.

在他們露面的這個過程中， 他們改變了美國政治。

Imagine if all of the followers of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders

想像唐納川普 和伯尼桑德斯的所有追隨者

had decided not to upend the political status quo

都決定不要顛覆政治現況，

and blow apart the frame of the previously possible

並打破美國政治上本來

in American politics.

有可能的架構。

They did that by voting.

他們是透過投票辦到的。

We live in a time right now,

我們現在生活的時代

divided, often very dark,

是分裂的，且經常是很黑暗的，

where across the left and the right, there's a lot of talk of revolution

不論左派或右派， 都有很多關於革命的言論，

and the need for revolution to disrupt everyday democracy.

以及需要革命來阻止日常民主的言論。

Well, here's the thing:

重點是這個：

everyday democracy already gives us a playbook for revolution.

日常民主已經給了我們革命的劇本。

In the 2012 presidential election,

在 2012 總統大選時，

young voters, Latino voters,

年輕投票者、拉丁裔投票者、

Asian-American voters, low-income voters,

亞裔美國人投票者、低收入投票者、

all showed up at less than 50 percent.

出來投票的都不到半數。

In the 2014 midterm elections, turnout was 36 percent,

在 2014 中期選舉，出席率是 36%，

which was a 70-year low.

這是七十年來的新低。

And in your average local election,

在一般的地方選舉，

turnout hovers somewhere around 20 percent.

出席率大約在 20% 上下。

I invite you to imagine 100 percent.

我想請各位想像一下 100%。

Picture 100 percent.

描繪一下 100%。

Mobilize 100 percent,

若能動員 100%，

and overnight, we get revolution.

我們就能在一夕之間造成革命。

Overnight, the policy priorities of this country change dramatically,

一夕之間，這個國家的 政治優先順序就會有顯著改變，

and every level of government becomes radically more responsive

每個層級的政府都要很徹底地

to all the people.

對所有人更負責。

What would it take to mobilize 100 percent?

要怎麼做才能動員 100%？

Well, we do have to push back against efforts afoot

我們得要去阻止現在全國各地

all across the country right now

在進行中的那些讓投票

to make voting harder.

更困難的事。

But at the same time,

同時，

we have to actively create a positive culture of voting

我們得要主動創造投票的正面文化，

that people want to belong to,

讓人們想要隸屬這種文化，

be part of, and experience together.

想成為它的一部份，想一起體驗它。

We have to make purpose.

我們得要創造目的。

We have to make joy.

我們得要創造喜悅。

So yes, let's have that revolution,

所以，是的，咱們來革命吧，

a revolution of spirit, of ideas,

關於精神、想法、

of policy and participation,

政策及參與的革命。

a revolution against cynicism,

對抗憤世嫉俗的革命，

a revolution against the self-fulfilling sense of powerlessness.

對抗無權之自我實感的革命。

Let's vote this revolution into existence,

咱們用投票讓這個革命能成真，

and while we're at it,

且當我們這麼做時，

let's have some fun.

也要找點樂子。

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）