Maybe Don't Vote?
I'm probably going to get lynched for this, but here goes anyway: I believe there are certain circumstances where a person, despite being eligible, should not vote.
Now don't get me wrong, I love democracy. And if you have strong opinions on an issue, I'd encourage you to vote – even if you're voting opposite my own views. However, it disturbs me to see people blindly encouraging one another to “just vote.” The media encourages us to vote. College professors encourage us to vote. Books and bloggers and websites and posters all encourage us to vote.
Everybody and their brother holds to this misguided notion that it's your solemn and sacred duty to vote. I challenge that notion here. It is not your responsibility to vote. It is your responsibility to vote responsibly.
Before you vote, stop and ask yourself why you're voting the way you're planning to vote. Then stop and ask yourself again, because your first answer was probably wrong. Why should you bother to ask? Because if you can't explain, in depth, why your opinion is best for the country in the long run, you will honestly do more damage by voting than by abstaining.
I know it's hard to find the time to do research! I know it's hard to cut through all the media garbage and see the issues for what they are. I know I was almost too busy to really find time to dig in and understand all the issues, but I did my best.
But even though I did my best, I simply can't claim to know everything that's at stake. So how many of you can honestly claim to be voting responsibly? Maybe you've got the ‘voting’ part down. Congratulations, you know how to operate a touchscreen. But are you really shouldering the burden of the responsibility?
When asked what kind of government our “new country” would have, Benjamin Franklin said, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Well, sorry Ben, but the republic slipped through our fingers long ago. As for the democracy we've got left, that's not indestructible either. In fact, it's fragile, and careless voting will quickly destroy it.
So, all that said, get out and vote. But only after you've done your homework! (There will be a test.)
ttyl!
--Alex Markley
- Malex's blog
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Comments
*agrees with Malex*
People who just go an put down whatever scare me
"Is that a spittoon on your head?"
"You're just jealous."-Contradictionary- Phlegmingo
More quotes
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over lousy fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
- Alexander Fraser Tyler, Cycle Of Democracy (1770)
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We should take our comfort from God's word, not from the circumstances of our lives.
i agree
i just hate all the people @ my school who have 0 political views, everything is just a reflection of their parents
and get this, they walk in there with t-shirts strapped on by mom and dad... it disgusts me
you'll ask 'em why they'd be voting for whom they're voting for
and they'll be all "umm...."
to them, it all comes down to the old one or the black one
or the blue one or the red one
and it disgusts me
wow, that felt good to vent
"I have no important quotes"
--Gooseman
Exactly.
See I'm a "Don't-care-ocrat", but only because I'm not yet old enough to vote. If I was voting in today's elections, then I would want to be completely informed and ready to make a logical decision. Voting based on a persons age, gender, or race is, in my opinion, the stupidest thing that a legally eligible voter can do. In my opinion, it's also the last form of sanctioned sexism, racism, etc... in America. Things like "Oh I'm not racist, but I think I'll vote for Obama, just cause he's black" or "I don't really like him, but McCain's a Republican" really get under my skin.
Sorry, I guess I'm getting my ranting out too. To sum up, if you don't know why you vote ... don't!
Malex: Yes. My ankles are cozy
- Malex Minute 197
*applauds all*
*but doesn't rant about the politics because she hates them so much she hides from them*
"You do realize," said Zanna, "that you're stroking a milk carton."
"You're just jealous," said Deeba.
-China Miéville's Un Lun Dun-
*agrees reservedly*
While I do for the most part agree with Malex's argument, I think it's necessary to point out that because humans are not omniscient, it's not possible for us to be completely informed about any candidate or issue. Thus, if being fully informed about all of the issues is the primary criterion for voting, no one should vote.
That said, I believe it is the responsibility of an informed electorate to use the information to which we have access(and that does mean doing some homework) to make informed voting decisions to the best of our ability. In a presidential election such as this one, it seems(to me at least) that the choice is clear. However, we can't know everything we need to know to make fully informed decisions. That is the inherent flaw in a democratic system, although it is counterbalanced by the fact that in a democracy the individual knowledge of each member of the electorate is used in the decision-making process, rather than a single person(or group of persons).
Incidentally, the fact that any one person can't know everything he or she need to know to make informed decisions is also the true reason for the failure of benevolent despotism, as well as Communism, and the real advantage of a free market economic system, where prices coordinate everything.
P.S. I can't vote yet either, so of course I've never had to actually make these decisions for myself.
Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H2O
was H2SO4.
So, all that said, get out
So, all that said, get out and vote. But only after you've done your homework! (There will be a test.)
This struck my as particularly uproarious
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths."
- Proverbs 3:5-6
...
... You stole that phrase from me, didn't you?
I don't really care if you did... But i will send my Law
s after you if you don't confess! *Smiles creepily and tilts head menacingly*
A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.
Law Ninjas?
Law
s ... You mean them? *points to a bunch of 
s eating insane amounts of ramen in the corner* I found them this morning stalking outside my house; apparently they haven't been fed in over a week ... You wouldn't know anything about them would you, otherwise I'll have to call Minion Services on you! 
Have a Nice Day!
[And yes, I borrowed your phrase, Dragon. It's a growing party though.
]
Malex: Yes. My ankles are cozy
- Malex Minute 197
...
I KNEW i was forgetting to do something... Feed the Law
s! *Smacks forehead* well, i'll have to do something else in retaliation, then... *calls Dragon* hey, you busy?.... yea.... Yea, i need you to stomp her... Uh huh... Use the Boot... Good... See ya Then... Bye. *hangs up* Nice knowing you, Mariel! 
A lie would have no sense unless the truth were felt as dangerous.
My Turn?
What I hate is when people talk about “democracy” as the ideal, or say they “will fight for democracy” (like Palin did in the debate), etc. … Like Malex’s quote from Mr. Franklin. Or like the fact that the word “democracy” or any form thereof cannot be found once in the Constitution.
It was supposed to be a republic…
But, oh well. It’s all we’ve got now, and Mr. McCain is the best candidate who’s for stopping the cold-blooded genocide of the unborn. So I’d vote for him if I could vote.
The only plus I can see to having Mr. Obama as president is that we’d have our first black president. It’s been “about time” for a black president for probably 140 years. I wish Booker T. Washington had been president for at least a term. He was cool.
Old Mother Hubbard sat in her cupboard,
Drowning her sorrows in hay.
Along came a spider who sat down to chide her,
But he could think of nothing to say.
lol
Or George Washington Carver.
Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H2O
was H2SO4.
Yep.
Old Mother Hubbard sat in her cupboard,
Drowning her sorrows in hay.
Along came a spider who sat down to chide her,
But he could think of nothing to say.
And sweet potatoes.
And pecans;-)
Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H2O
was H2SO4.
Another suggestion
How about Alan Keyes? I voted for him in the 1996 Presidential Primary. He should have won!
---------------
We should take our comfort from God's word, not from the circumstances of our lives.
Yep.
Should’ve. Such a pity…
Old Mother Hubbard sat in her cupboard,
Drowning her sorrows in hay.
Along came a spider who sat down to chide her,
But he could think of nothing to say.
*quickly checks Wikipedia*
Ah, so that's who he is... interesting.
From what I've read in about 11 seconds, it looks like for the most part I would agree with his policies. However, I'm one of those rather narrow-minded people who says that voting for a third-party candidate is throwing your vote away
Still, I'm sure he(and probably just about anyone) would have been infinitely better than Dole/Kemp in '96.
Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H2O
was H2SO4.
Well
Voting for somebody in the primaries is different than voting independent in the election. Just thought I’d throw that out.
Old Mother Hubbard sat in her cupboard,
Drowning her sorrows in hay.
Along came a spider who sat down to chide her,
But he could think of nothing to say.
*concedes*
Good point... perhaps I should read things more carefully before I reply;-)
Johnny was a chemist's son,
But Johnny is no more.
What Johnny thought was H2O
was H2SO4.
Hehe
Don’t worry about it.
Old Mother Hubbard sat in her cupboard,
Drowning her sorrows in hay.
Along came a spider who sat down to chide her,
But he could think of nothing to say.
I think you're right....
I agree. Of course, as Quartz pointed out, the primary vote is different. The way you vote in the primaries can be terribly, terribly important. The two-party system has a death grip on American politics, but the way you vote in the primaries can affect the way your party acts. It can affect their perception of their members and that's very important.
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We should take our comfort from God's word, not from the circumstances of our lives.