Tue 5 Feb 2008
If You Don’t Vote You Don’t Deserve To Call Yourself American
Posted by Andrew Blanco under Current Events, Politics, Society
In the last decade the voting rates during a presidential election have increased by 5.4%. Sounds great right? And if I told you that in the 2004 presidential election 126 million people voted, that’d probably sound real nice, too.
Real nice until you realize that 36.2% of the population never made it to the polls that year. Despite these numbers, I have no doubt that over 90% of Americans complained about decisions that were made during that presidency.
It begs to be asked - are we allowed to complain about the decisions a president makes when we have taken no part in electing them? Well in my opinion, if you are under the age of 18, or you are not yet a citizen, then yes, complain to your heart’s content. However, if you are over the age of 18, and you have not taken the time to a) register, and then b) vote, well then I’m sorry, but you have forfeited your right to complain.
I recently had a nasty argument with a friend over just this topic. I asked him if he would be voting in the primaries on Super Tuesday. My friend responded,
You must be kidding. I don’t know what anyone stands for and so instead of being like most people who don’t know the whole story but talk like they do, I’m not going to act like I know what’s going on. I don’t, so I won’t vote.
I then criticized him for not taking the time to research the candidates, but told him that if he had an hour he could do a cursory review of what each stood for, and make a judgement about who’s platform seemed most in-line with his vision of America’s future. To this he responded,
It takes a little more than one hour. You have to understand that TV and most newspapers are extremely biased. If I was to fully get an unbiased opinion it would take me most of the day.”
Excuses like this are ridiculous, and ridiculous excuses seem to be the only responses non-voters can give to justify their behavior.The question remains - how do we get that other 36.2% to get their bodies off the couch and into the polling stations? How do we convince them that voting is not just a privilage, but a necessity.
When voting for anyone we are essentially making a character judgment. But, when voting for the President of the United States, that character judgement can mean the difference between war and peace. It can mean the difference between certain domestic policies being vetoed indefinitely during that given term. It can mean the bolstering or the steady desecration of our economy. There is so much on the line that any argument against voting can only be the result of miseducation.
My fellow Americans, the next time you have the opportunity to vote for the leader of your country, don’t take it for granted - and please don’t make excuses. In the end there really are no excuses. To not vote is to disown the future of your country and to potentially contribute to its deviance from progress.
Basically, if you don’t vote, you really don’t deserve to call yourself American.
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February 5th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Well said.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
I agree completely. As discussed with Greg M. - maybe it would be a good idea to allow people to vote online in a secure environment so more people are apt to vote.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I feel an online system is inevitable, but how would we avoid the hackers? Even the CIA database gets hacked, who’se to think the voting system wouldn’t be too.
But it’s definitely going to happen eventually. If everyone could just vote from their couch, or bed, or toilet, on a laptop computer, then for the love of Source, there really would be no excuse for lack of voting.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
… the toilet, now that has promise!
February 5th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Its not like our current system is hacker proof, need I remind us all of the 2000 elections.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
While I support your article, I don’t like the idea for voting from home. There is something about celebrating Democracy, when a person walk to your city hall to express one of the most important citizen’s rights. In Israel, it is a day-off for everybody.
How about, if you don’t vote, you don’t get a day off (I mean a paid day-off)?
February 5th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Great point Oren.
Unfortunately, a lot of Americans don’t express their right to vote and don’t think about celebrating Democracy in all its majesty for they are either too busy or don’t think that they could do anything to change the problems that afflict our country.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I agree Oren. While internet voting would provide convenience, it’s also a bit antisocial - or rather social in an isolated way? This is the same issue I have with online gaming, dating, shopping, etc.
But then again, are we just negatively judging internet voting because we were raised in a different time with different technology?
It reminds me of parents in the 50’s criticizing Elvis because they weren’t used to that form of music.
Also, there should be a punishment for not voting, and in my opinion it should be monetary. Is one-week’s pay too much?
February 8th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
First of all - screw you, Andrew for trying to trump my First Amendment right of free speech. I will criticize whomever I please and shouldn’t have to be labeled as un-American for participating in a vital piece of Constitutional law.
Secondly, I haven’t had a day off, paid or otherwise on election day since I left school. So if they really want people to vote, then it should be declared that everyone gets off of work.
Thirdly, a punishment for not voting? I mean come on, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Have you ever heard of a Member of Congress abstaining from a vote? This is the same thing. A person not voting in the Presidential election is fundamentally the same as a Member of Congress abstaining, so a private citizen who does not draw a paycheck from the Federal Government should also not be obliged to vote, if they choose not to do so.
Get bent.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
I completely agree with the right to abstain from voting, more often than not none of the candidates are worthy. And in many ways it is a form of voting in its own right. Not too mention, the voting process could be easier and more convenient to encourage more participation.
However, I think it would be best to exercise your choice to abstain by essentially voting for ‘no candidate’ in the booth. This way there would be a lasting record of how many people thought all the candidates were worthless. I think that would be mush better because as it is now there is no way of knowing who abstains vs. who just does not care.
While it is anyone’s right to not care (albeit if you don’t care you really should not be one who ever complains about the government), I would like to see official tallies of those who do. This way it would be like, in the year you were elected 37% of the voters would have rather had someone that was not on the ballot. In a way that would speak volumes for an ineffective politician. This is better than all of us wondering; who doesn’t care, who abstains, and who can’t even spell the word vote.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Jay, its obviously impossible to vote if you’re at work, and the government should definitely give everyone either a day off or a mandatory break from work for an hour to vote - or not to vote.
Good point about the first amendment, and about punishment for not voting. However, I still think there needs to be some way to attract more voters, that way the election process is more representative of the entire population. Maybe some kind of renewed curriculum in schools or something like that, so its indoctrinated at a younger age.
February 9th, 2008 at 12:38 am
I agree that voter turn out needs to increase in order to represent the populace more evenly. Incentives, not punishment, are the way to approach it. We are already threatened with enough punitive action for many things and I don’t believe that more punishment will drive the behavior you are looking for. Perhaps if the quality of candidates was better, or if accessibility to voting was improved, or if the news started reporting real issues instead of over-dramatized newsertainment and celebrity smut, the general public would be knowledgeable, engaged and motivated to vote.
February 9th, 2008 at 11:32 am
No celebrity smut!? Then who would I make fun of all day?
February 9th, 2008 at 11:37 am
You?
February 9th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I left the door open for that one didn’t I