As I stand outside Dyed Hyde Tattoo shop and stare aimlessly at the line of people waiting at the front counter I can’t help thinking, Why would a tattoo and piercing business offer a free piercing, minus the cost of a stud or hoop, to anyone who has voted?

Let’s be frank here. It seems like a strange offer and that getting a free extra hole in your body is not the best way to promote the democratic process. People should want to vote because they feel strongly about an issue or a candidate, not because they can get something free out of it.

Samuel Adams once wrote, “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual, or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts for which he is accountable to God and His country.”

I’m sure back in the 18^th century those few that were privileged enough to vote were not offered a free sheep if they did so. Starbucks and Ben & Jerry’s are doing the same thing, offering a free promotional item to encourage people to vote. But there are two ways to look at what these companies are doing.

First there’s the reason they want you to believe – offering an incentive for those who choose to vote somehow contributes to the democratic process. Then there is the second. Maybe all these companies are doing giveaways to make money. It’s brilliant free advertising. Once the word got out that Dyed Hyde was offering a free piercing, local media was quick to pick up on the promotional campaign. They might be taking a loss up front by only requiring those showing proof of voting to pay $5 to $10 for the stud or hoop, but this promotion has undoubtedly increased their business ten-fold for the day.

And don’t think it’s just a Dyed Hyde thing. What grown-ups do you know who go to Ben and Jerry’s to eat ice cream by themselves? That’s right – very few. They will probably have their kids with them and because you have to be 18 to vote, they can’t get free ice cream, which means their parents will have to buy it for them. And Starbucks, yeah they’re giving away free coffee, but let’s not forget Starbucks also has all those yummy things behind the counter that you couldn’t possibly pass up. So your trip to Starbucks for a free cup of coffee has put money back in the pockets of Starbucks.

But maybe all this is beside the point. All the free stuff you get today doesn’t discount your vote or make it not as worthy as someone who didn’t get a free piercing. If anything could be concluded from all of this it is that this election has been infused with energy from young voters that started way before free piercings and ice cream came into the picture.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 at 5:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.