This is one of the most compelling videos on voting I've ever seen. Kimberly Latrice Jones shared this on her Instagram and its been trending everywhere. Jones is well known for her "How Can We Win" video which went viral during the protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd. (bottom of page)
The video is from rapper YelloPain and it goes into excruciating detail on how our system of lawmaking works and why its important to vote for ALL levels of our government. All of the lyrics can be found at the bottom of the page.
Some of the comments from viewers included...
"He just taught me more than school does.This man is to underrated"
"Just heard about this artist today. This is what the people need to hear."
"This man just brilliantly illustrated why Civics is rarely taught in school any more. THEY don't want you to know any of this."
Watch the video with lyrics on Jones' Instagram or the YouTube video below.
YelloPain - My Vote Dont Count
Uh, I've been broke all my life
But I kept hope all them nice
You see business in my city
Yeah they closed all them twice
I was just riding down seeing all them pot holes
I can't drive
I know y'all can fix it faster
But I know y'all won't try
Nobody care about us
And that's why I won't vote
Voted for Obama back in 2012
I remember that's when I had hope
He was saying, "Yes, we can!"
And everybody got less food stamps
And when I turn 21 I was still broke
God, I'll never vote again
I don't think I ever had a president made my life better
Did it all on my own, ain't no politician ever do a nice gesture
I don't even know the mayor name
I ain't ever seen one time ever
Tell me how she gonna help the city
What I suppose to do, write letters?
What I suppose to do, blame Trump?
He ain't never really give a uh
Ain't nobody raise minimum wage
None of these jobs pay enough
I think they just wanna keep us broke
Cause they ain't put none a place for us
This how all my people feel
But we gotta learn, we can complain enough
Let me change it up
Everything I just said, everybody I know think the same way
See, they don't wanna see us vote
And we never do so we see the same thing
But all our votes really do count
And they never really let it show
Now I'm finna break it down
Cause if I don't you would probably never know
Fist thing first, you know back in middle school
When they taught us, it was three branches of government?
We forgot it when we got older
It's the Judicial, the Legislative, and the Executive
But all we know is the Executive
That's the mayor, or governor, and the president
Now none of them three people make no laws, they just be checking 'em
The laws come to they desk and all they do is say, "No" or "Yes" to it
So when the news station tell us that Barrack Obama couldn't put us on
We was all salty at Obama when it was the Congress members all along
We gotta focus on the Legislative
Branch; yeah they the ones that make the Laws
Yeah they the ones that write how
Much food stamps money you get on the card
But when people that wanted to help us wanted the job
I know they probably lost
Cause we ain't even know they name,
We ain't know they face, we ain't know it all
So the Congress or the State House
That's the Legislative branch, they make Laws
So what we want from the President is what they do, okay y'all?
See they election every two years but we don't ever even go to those
The Congress they could raise minimum
Wage but we ain't even really know it thou
So you know how back in '08, when we all voted for Obama
We was all supposed to go back in 2010 and voted for the Congress
Cause they the ones that make child support laws
They the ones choose if your kids
At school get to eat steak or corn dog
The state house makes the courthouse
So if the country fail you can't say it's them its your fault
Cause ya ain't know to know to vote
For Congress members that was for y'all
And they don't gotta leave at the four year and we just let 'em sit
They don't want to tell you this
They want you to focus on the President
Now the third branch is the Judicial; that's judges
They the reason why John Crawford and Trayvon had justice
So when Meek Mill got locked up just
For popping wheelies we blam the judges
And not the city, when they let her get voted in
Cause they don't know who to vote against
Imagine life on the other side; roles better, schools better
Everybody get they license back, grocery store food better
Custody of your kids back, homeless people get new shelters
If we gonna fix the US, we gotta start with them two letters
Me and you
Somebody told us that the government want to keep us broke
But the only reason why those people
In the government is 'cause we ain't vote
And I ain't talking about the President
I'm talking about the ones we ain't know
See they was gonna try keep it low
But it's gonna hurt 'em when they see them polls
Every time you stay one someone is making a decision about you
Making about decision about the air you breath, the water you drink,
The food your kids eat,
And how much money you bring home very twice weeks
So every time you seat out an election,
Every time you don't show up because you think it doesn't matter,
Someone else is happy that you didn't show up.
So they can make that decision for you. Vote!