Shakespeare and I haven't really gotten along since we were introduced about, oh, 10 years ago in high school. I don't think his prose is all that special. He's just got the benefit of obsolescent language, which makes it harder to understand thereby giving an esoteric feel to something that, at the time of its creation, was common language. Shakespeare wrote for generally uneducated masses, but he has some of the most timeless topics and issues in his plays and sonnets. He has a sonnet that pretty much reams his old lady a new one for about 14 lines, but the last two are pretty much "she's all I got and I love her so the other crap doesn't matter." Isn't that relationships in a nutshell? Your partner says and does some of the dumbest crap this side of a Texas Air Guard deserter, but at the end of the day, that person makes you happy so nothing else matters in the grand scheme of things.
Nowhere in Shakespeare's writing are the concepts as timeless as his tragedies because Ipod, walkman, phonograph, to traveling minstrel to any other advance or change throughout history, the one constant is tragedy. In each of these tragedies, there is a tragic hero, our protagonist, if you will (if I sound too 11th grade English, just bear with me. There is going to be a point in here somewhere). Some poor smhuck is going to fall victim to one of the timeless pitfalls of humanity. Zealotry (Macbeth), Lovesickness/Heartbreak (Marc Antony), Greed (Lady Macbeth), Treachery from those you thought were your friends (Othello), the Pit falls of being on top/treachery (Hamlet). In essence, Greed and treachery. And, what defines the human experience quite like greed and treachery.
In all of the Shakespeare tragedies, the tragic hero is ALWAYS warned of dangers to come. It's just this danger is usually delivered by a fool, drunkard, witch, hobo, vagabond, hoser, leper, or Cubs fan, which is then summarily tossed aside by the tragic hero. Bad move. ALWAYS. The most important note about this is that the advice/admonishment is ALWAYS dead on. This is a hard fact of life. Many times advice or warnings are shrugged off because the source isn't cool enough or fly enough or wizened enough or old enough or young enough. Think about this: How many times were your parents EXACTLY right when giving advice about life? Advice you didn’t listen to but ultimately should've.
It doesn't matter where the knowledge comes from as long as it comes. The medium by which information is delivered IS NOT more important than the information itself. Where, as a people, did we get to the point that if our information does not come from a flashy format we do not take it as valid? We are thinking with our eyes and not our mind. If Gabrielle union is wearing a trash bag, at the end of the day, isn’t she still gabby freaking union? This is not to say that you should be getting your medical advice from the guy outside the liquor store or legal advice from the neighbor's drunk uncle, but at least take the time to process the information before you write it off. Look at it like the difference between cigar and cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke is inhaled (swallowed) while cigar smoke is exhaled without fully swallowing the smoke. Take in all information you recieve at first. Roll it around a bit. Research it if you deem necessary. If it isn't a complete load of horse hockey, then swallow it down. If its hot gah-bage, spit it back. Ask the right questions. Challenge people. "Hey, a snot rocket to the eye socket doesn't sound like it will cure cancer." "I may not be the smartest man in the world, but I don’t think we should give folks who just lost billions of dollars more billions and think its going to be alright." But, give it a chance first. Just because a republican said it, doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Just because a democrat said it doesn’t make it Gospel and vice versa depending on your affiliation.
The main point in all of this is thinking. Proper assessment of the validity of what you are being told requires thought. Is it cigarette or cigar smoke? Holy or hockey? If you think about it, does knowing a person that did something wrong 25-30 years ago mean that you are prone to doing the same thing? Does the fact that a man befriends a plumber mean he cares about the working class? Does the fact that a man is black mean the same thing? Does the fact that a person voted against Martin Luther King Day in his state mean he is racist. Correlation is not causation. At first glance, the answer to all those questions would be yes; however upon further investigation, they are empty questions and the answers prove absolutely nothing about future events. Its election year with the big day soon at hand and you will hear a WHOLE lot of erroneous, loosely analogous accusations that at first thought sound reasonable, but don't hold water upon further inspection.
Let us think America, for once. You know the reason that the framers of the constitution didn't put the election of the president directly in the people's hands: they said we were fickle and seldom knew what we wanted. This election is TOO important for us to be lollygagging around talking about plumbers and preachers. We need to clean up our economy. We need to mend fences with the entire world. So black folk, I want a black man as president as much as any other brother, but if you don’t feel he is capable, then please don't vote for him. White folk, don’t vote for him b/c he has the right amount of grey hair or he LOVES the working man (really? really? what in the hell about repub's, would lead ANYONE to believe they are for the common man? What is the last thing repub's did for the common man? Free the slaves? Damn, I wanted to write this straight up, but come on! We are not even trying here.) or because he is white. I am not telling you who to vote for. I am telling you what to do before you walk into that booth. Think, really think, about what you feel is important and which candidate gives it to you. If you love health care but hate black people, vote for Barack! If you like the status quo and feel we shouldn't change power during an unstable economy, but you hate women, go ahead a vote for McCain. It’s the MOST important thing to you. I hate broccoli but if a brother was starving you can cool believe I am eating the damn broccoli. And, ladies and gentlemen this country is starving.
We can do this America! We were manipulated. We were scared and mislead the last 8 years with fake terror "plots" and the like, but it’s never too late to change. Please vote for the right reasons. Reasons that matter to our NATION as a whole not just you, because that is what is at stake. Our National infrastructure, Our Future. Black, White, Hispanic, or Jedi, let's get it right. To have another 4-8 years like the preceding ones would be, well, tragic. 
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