why should i vote?

[the iron horse]

"So, really, why on earth should I vote?"


Because you have the freedom to vote.


Imagine yourself in a country where can can't vote.

 

[VertigoGal]

umm.
imagine myself in a country where I have the freedom to vote but my vote doesn't count for shit.
those poor Iraqis under Saddam!

I should just be happy that I have the right to check a name...what happens after I do that is all details, I guess.

(and of course living under Saddam was worse than living here and the two aren't equatable blahdisclaimerblah)

 

[martha]

umm.
imagine myself in a country where I have the freedom to vote but my vote doesn't count for shit.
those poor Iraqis under Saddam!

It's true, even though it's cliche. People are still dying for the right to vote around the world. A right Americans are too cynical and lazy to exercise.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Exactly. I understand in some ways why people have grown cynical and jaded in this country, but it's that exact same cyncism that's preventing any progress from happening. Of course nothing's going to get done if we're just like, "Well, why bother? People will just do what they want anyway."

Angela

 

[indra]

My advice would be to keep up with what is going on -- locally, nationally, and internationally -- and vote when you are both informed and feel drawn to do so (make sure you are and remain registered so you can vote when you want to).

Politics and politicians are often sickening and I certainly understand why many people want nothing at all to do with them (I know I sure as hell don't). So don't deal with them -- do something else. There are many things you can do to make a positive impact in this world that are not political. Find one or more of those things and do that. There is more than one way (voting) to make your voice heard.

 

[watergate]

Apathetic Americans are the reason why the United States is becoming a third world country and going to hell in a hand basket.
Reasons why you should vote.
Your aid for college is being cut every year.
The United States is in a recession and headed for an economic depression.
America is losing the good paying jobs to other countries, 3 million and growing. Do you want to spend all that time in college just to get a job at a call center or in the service industry?
You could be drafted if the U.S. invades Iran.
Most of you constitutional rights are gone.
Your generation is going to inherit the largest deficit in the history of the U.S. Deficits turn countries into third world countries. Before 2000 the U.S. was the greatest lender to the world, now the U.S. is the greatest borower in the world. China owns us.
Do you want to live in a third world country? This seems to be the path the U.S. is on.

 

[phillyfan26]

Uh ... alright.

 

[randhail]

Apathetic Americans are the reason why the United States is becoming a third world country and going to hell in a hand basket.
Reasons why you should vote.
Your aid for college is being cut every year.
The United States is in a recession and headed for an economic depression.
America is losing the good paying jobs to other countries, 3 million and growing. Do you want to spend all that time in college just to get a job at a call center or in the service industry?
You could be drafted if the U.S. invades Iran.
Most of you constitutional rights are gone.
Your generation is going to inherit the largest deficit in the history of the U.S. Deficits turn countries into third world countries. Before 2000 the U.S. was the greatest lender to the world, now the U.S. is the greatest borower in the world. China owns us.
Do you want to live in a third world country? This seems to be the path the U.S. is on.

Are you Jack Bauer's father?

 

[watergate]

Nope I'm just a political science major and I've studied economics and history. I'm active in politics. I'm proud to be a radical liberal and a member of the Democratic Party which Thomas Jefferson founded. I want to be a union organizer when I graduate.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Uh ... alright.

Are you Jack Bauer's father?

Everything in his post is true or very likely.

~

Also,

VertigoGal, I appreciate that you feel disenchanted with the current state of US politics, as I and many other Americans do. The first step towards changing that is casting a vote because you have the right to do so. Hell, I live in Canada and I'll be casting an absentee ballot because

a) I have the right to, and
b) Because I don't want the US to continue as it has for the last eight years. I am proud to be a US citizen despite everything and will do what I am enabled to by being a citizen: vote.

You've had the reasons to vote laid out for you, so if you're going to keep whining in an irritating manner, please just let this thread die and stop being so fucking selfish and annoying.

 

[VertigoGal]

canadiens.

it's not so much that i am unsure that elections are important, but that i am bothered by the fact that my vote makes essentially no difference under the electoral college system. but ok.

 

[BonosSaint]

And when all is said and done, your individual Presidential vote is fucked in a winner take all state. And what is worse is you are associated with how the state goes. I live in a purple state that goes blue (narrowly) in Presidential elections. My father feels the same way you do in reverse, but at least here it's not a foregone conclusion so you feel slightly better about your vote. Here's hoping for a purple Georgia.

 

[Carek1230]

Voting in the US is a privilege and a right. You should vote. If not, I don't feel those people really have any right to go around bashing candidates and issues.

 

[phillyfan26]

If not, I don't feel those people really have any right to go around bashing candidates and issues.

I completely disagree with this.

 

[randhail]

I completely disagree with this.

why?

 

[phillyfan26]

There are a number of reasons why people don't vote. I honestly think one of the more common reasons is that people really don't like either candidate and don't want to vote for either of them. Others know that one candidate is going to win in that state, and that their vote truly is meaningless. I respect that. I don't think someone should keep quiet about their thoughts just because they didn't vote. Should they vote? Sure. But there are reasons why people don't vote.

 

[martha]

I completely disagree with this.

I don't think I do. If you can't be bothered to make the effort for change, then you can't really whine about the lack of change.

 

[BonosSaint]

People work for change in many ways. Change is not only political. I vote because it is one of the ways I work for change, but I don't hold voting above the others. There's no quid pro quo for freedom of speech, including complaint, no litmus test for it. All that being said, if I don't vote, you're well within your rights to ignore everything I say if you believe voting is a litmus test for complaint (actually you're well within your rights to ignore anything I say for whatever reason).

 

[phillyfan26]

I can see why someone wouldn't want to vote in a system that erases the meaning of votes for a lot of people.

 

[martha]

I was thinking about this thread as I was watching the pictures from Pakistan. The things those poor people are going through just to vote.

So yeah. Vote simply because you can.

 

[fly so high!]

umm.
imagine myself in a country where I have the freedom to vote but my vote doesn't count for shit.
those poor Iraqis under Saddam!

I should just be happy that I have the right to check a name...what happens after I do that is all details, I guess.

(and of course living under Saddam was worse than living here and the two aren't equatable blahdisclaimerblah)

*still shaking my head why voting is NOT compulsory in the states!*

I think this is the reason why most people don't want to vote....because you think it does not count and know nothing about the candidates.

The fact is your vote DOES count. It is extremely ILLEGAL to not count votes, now we all know (and you don't have to be American) that some ill-goings ons played out prior to the BUSH election ( we will hopefully discuss this in another thread sometime )

You do not have to be an EXPERT in government to make an educated decision ( The Governments including my own country's made that damn sure.... they make it blissfully boring, use un-necessary big words that even a linguist would need to consult her Oxford and make it so frikkin' complicated just so people like you go "You know what....I'm sick of this shit, i don't understand it, i don't give a crap as long as i am happy with my own little square box that i live in....who gives a shit what they want to do with my country, I 'm happy!"

But are you? What are the issues that face you everyday.....ask yourself what is pissing you off about what the current government is doing.....there is really no point asking parents or family members, they have weird views sometimes. You have to ask what is important to you.

Write them down, do some Google searches, watch the news, read your papers. Check out the candidates, they SHOULD have a list policies and PICK ONE!

If that guy does not win, it's a sad day, if they do Happy day....... but honestly the more people who vote (especially the Americans) the heads of Government and the Political Analysts out there would be spinning so fast they won't know what fucking hit them and HOPEFULLY they will wake up and do something constructive!

Hope that helped!

 

[fly so high!]

I was thinking about this thread as I was watching the pictures from Pakistan. The things those poor people are going through just to vote.

So yeah. Vote simply because you can.

 

[verte76]

You really should vote. Who you want to vote for is your business and none of mine, but it's a right you should use.