Disenfranchisement
One of the big topics this year, as almost every election year, is “getting out the vote”… the big push to “help” people register to vote and then “help” them vote. Without getting into the TRUE motives (not the stated motives) of organizations engaged in this type of activity, it is my opinion that such campaigns are NOT good for America. Here’s why:
First, let me state unequivocably that every qualified citizen of this country has an ABSOLUTE RIGHT and a MORAL OBLIGATION to vote in local, state, and national elections. By qualified, I mean you meet the legal criteria. So, if you are a law-abiding citizen meeting the age requirement, you should be ABLE to vote and you SHOULD vote.
Having said that, I will further say that, if you can’t bother to register to vote and if you can’t take the time to vote after doing so, then you FORFEIT your “say” in the election. If you aren’t MOTIVATED enough to take the SMALL amount of effort it takes to vote in our country, it is MY opinion that YOUR opinion is probably not worth much… and we’re all likely to be better off if you, in fact, do not vote.
An aside: I am obviously NOT talking about people with conditions that prevent them from getting out. If a person has a medical affliction, for example, there are already support groups that will help them register to vote and to actually vote. And vote by mail certainly helps people in this group. My discussion is about people who have the physical ability to register and vote but cannot seem to do so without someone else convincing them to do so.
If you take the time to vote, then fine: even if I don’t agree with your vote, you have the right and have exercised it.
All through my kids’ school years, we were responsible, INVOLVED parents… helping out with school groups, social events, and sports. One thing I noticed in allof them: perhaps 20% of the parents would take the time and effort to HELP make these efforts successful… and 80% would just enjoy the results. And of that “lazy” 80%, you could count on 10-15% of those WHO DID NOTHING to help make the event happen to COMPLAIN about it. They would have the outright nerve to express their opinion that something should have been done differently, or something was missing, or why it wasn’t good… not understanding that their thoughts were hardly original, had been addressed during planning, could not be accomplished given finite resources, and were vetoed as impractical BY THOSE WHO SHOWED UP TO DO THE WORK.
A very few of those who complained actually understood after it was explained to them and, had they been involved throughout the process, would have come to the same conclusion. Instead, they were UNinvolved and came to the WRONG conclusion.
My point is: while we shoujld not make it difficult for people to register and vote, it is not necessarily good for our country to PUSH it on people because they are likely to be uninterested, uninvolved, less concerned, and less motivated to do the job right. These are the very people who are more likely to make rash, uninformed decisions… cast votes for candidates or issues that will directly benefit themselves without considering the impact on the community or the country. These are the ones who are probably more confused by all the advertising or receptive to political lies.
As an informed voter, I don’t mind if you vote the opposite way… that our votes cancel each other out. If we’re both informed voters, we have expressed our opinions and let the dust settle where it may.
If, however, my vote (or your vote)… each votes of INFORMED citizens… is cancelled out by the vote of someone who actually was not going to vote until someone TALKED THEM INTO IT and TOLD them how to vote… then WE are the ones who have been disenfranchised.
