Voting is a privilege not a right. Juveniles have rights; the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent etc. Juveniles don’t have the right to vote neither do felons or foreigners. A foreign visitor to our country enjoys freedom of speech, assembly and all the other rights we have but they can’t vote. That is a privilege reserved for citizens.
Jefferson said, “Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are our only sure reliance for the preservation of liberty.” Democracy only works if The People get involved. That involvement may mean running for office but more likely means being involved in the processes of democracy; community involvement, civic engagement, petitioning the government about an issue (sidewalks, noise, zoning disputes etc.) and voting.
We get the government and leaders we deserve. When we don’t deign to run for office ourselves we agree by default to pass leadership to others. When we don’t get involved in our community we agree that things are just fine the way they are. When we don’t vote we’re saying we don’t care about the direction of our city, state or nation and whatever others’ agendas may be is just hunky dory with us.
If you don’t vote, don’t complain. Voting is your chance to have your say in the function of government of your community. Who serves on the City Council and School Board directly impacts your taxes and what priorities they’re spent on. Will we elect leaders with a petty pique to settle or an agenda for action that may be passé by the time they take office (i.e. masks in the schools) or folks who have no skin in the game (a candidate with no children or grandchildren in the public schools for example)? Have you informed yourself on the issues and personalities in the election to be held Tuesday, June 8th?
Will you reward experienced leadership or is it time for a change? Will you elect someone with a radical agenda out of ignorance or a “burn the house down” philosophy that you may regret later? Elections have consequences and how or whether you vote matters.
I hope you’re a registered voter, if you’re not get yourself registered for next time. I hope you vote for the candidates of your choice in every election you possibly can. If your candidate doesn’t win, and you voted, complain to high heaven and throw the bums out the next time. If your candidate wins and disappoints you, there’s always another future election. But, if you don’t participate at all then you have given up your right to have any say. Sit quietly, don’t complain and accept whatever comes your way. As lottery officials say, “You can’t win if you don’t play.” In democracy you need to vote to win as a citizen, more than that our country needs you to vote if we are to succeed and continue as a free and independent nation.