This is the comment by TFNP on my last post and my response to his comment:
Alright Ash...again, i'll bite. My I.I. for the day...If i find ALL (realizing that word is extremely stereotypical yet i have no reasonable data to indicate otherwise) politicians to be, shall i say, less than righteous...should i be looked down upon because i DO NOT vote? How can i reason within myself to cast my approval for "the lesser of two evils"? Meaning... i am still approving an evil. I have to stop there, this WILL become a novella.
I vote because it is my right and privileged. Because I want a say in who runs the country I live in. Who protects my freedom. I agree with your lesser of two evils point. But to me voting is not approving, voting is choosing. Voting is choosing who governs the country I live in! Choosing who has power over your life. Voting is taking a step to preserve our rights. I vote because I do not want the the most evil in power. I do not want the most evil to have control over my life and country. You may say that the no one has power over your life. But government does. What if the government suddenly repealed your right to own a gun. Your right to protect your family. Your right to discipline your children. Because of the influence of an evil leader. If every one did not vote because they did not want to pick the lesser of two evils they are choosing to live under whatever comes, with no freedom of choice. My one vote for the lesser of the evils may not even matter in the end. But at least I will know that I did something to preserve my freedom and way of life! I want the lesser of the evils in power. I feel that people who do not vote can not complain about the government and its leaders because they do not take a step towards changing it. There will always be evils in government. But is less evil better than more evil? Yes, I know evil is evil, but which would you rather have in power? Which would you rather live under? Should we take a step towards preserve our rights as Americans? To ensure that we have the rights that our founding fathers set forth. To ensure that our children are brought up in a free country. To not let anyone take away those rights. War is fought for freedom. Men and women have given their lives for freedom. Given their lives to ensure that you live in a free country. Do we count the lives of our founding fathers and all the men that have fought and died for our freedoms as rubbish? Do you like religious freedom? Do you like living under a roof that is yours not the government's? Do you like working for you and your family and not the state? Do you like having the right to choose who governs the country you live in! Who preserves the rights that you take for granted!
No you should not be looked down upon because you do not vote. But you should consider why you do not want a say in who has power over your life and the country you live in.
I have never seen myself as very patriotic until today.
This post was written quickly with many thoughts flowing though my head please excuse any errors you may see.
5 comments:
We may not be of this world, but we are in this world. We are to render to Ceasar what is Ceasar's. The lesser of two evils is still less. If I waited to vote on someone whom I thought was "religious enough" or righteous, I'd probably never vote. Nope, I have to look at each canidate, take note of what he/she is saying, and choose the best one (or lesser of two evils). The best one might not be perfect (neither am I, yet) but I still vote. I do not wash my hands of my earthly responsibilities even though I know which kingdom I am a part. That would be like the person on his roof top in a flood praying for God to save him. As a boat, a helicopter, etc. come by and try to save him, he responds that he is waiting on God. Then he drowns and goes to heaven where he questions why God did not save him. God responds that He sent a boat, a helicopter, etc. If we were in trouble, would we ask our rescuers how righteous they were before we took their help? God can use people even though they are not His.
I feel I have an obligation to vote even if the choices are the lesser of two evils. I agree with Lou that at least it is "less". Sometimes your vote is as much cast against something as it is cast for something else. I recently told someone who commented about they feared who our next leader might be that (as Lou said) we are just passing through...but while I'm hear, I'd like the journey to be as pleasant as possible. And I want the journey for my kids and grandkids to be pleasant, too. For me, that means taking some responsiblity toward ensuring that we remain free.
People MUST exercise their right to vote in order for democracy to work. That's a GIVEN, and there's no two ways about it.
While it's also a person's right to exercise their option NOT to vote, I find exercising that option to be short-sighted at the very best. More often than not I consider not voting to be irresponsible. I'm pretty sensitive in this space.
And our choices this year are STARK, as are the differences between the two parties. The next four years will have a TREMENDOUS impact on the future of our country, and I simply do not believe the Democrats have articulated a prudent or rational set of policies for America. Just my $0.02. Your Mileage Most Certainly May Vary.
Lou: I agree with you points. Why be negligent?
Inpassing: Great points. p.s thanks for reading my blog.
Buck: I agree. Great points.
very informative...good arguments all.
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