I am going to bring my thread here to start it in a new light.

The header is just a teaser,the real question is:

Why SHOULD I vote?

This was from a different post,I would like it to be the focus of my thread.

I do vote,in ALL elections(just to clear that up)

But for the people who don't write(or want to be labeled even in here)I brought the question to light.

My big hang-up is the 'friends'I have whether they be dems,or republicans,are at a loss to explain what their incentive really is to go and vote.

WE ALL KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST A LOCAL THING,ITS VERY MUCH NATIONWIDE!

Do the poor,uneducated people in society really have a reason to vote?Is a change in office really going to impact their lives,YES? Try telling them that.

What they hear is what we all hear,the hype spilled out over the same airwaves(TV etc) as we do,Just the perspective and lack of true education in the 'big picture'

How would Hillery make My LIFE better than Fred?

How did Bill make my business prosper when George Killed it entirely?

This is the big picture,for my world.

Does educating,incarcerating,or belittling the vast majority of the USA's society make the people in office do anything different?HE** NO. They are going to do whatever they feel like doing,regardless of the people that voted them in(OH yeah,we can vote them out,Right?) And then a new revised form of crooked leader arises in their absence.

Again,why do we vote? What's the point? To wait for a state rep. to advance through the ranks till he(or she) is also corrupt?

Even at the local levels it is all too prevalent,News of Money Laundering/Mishandling,, etc

And then the next idea,"If you don't like it,run for office yourself,change the system if its so broken,Quit complaining if you are not going to fix it"

Hi KBC-

IMO many people that don't vote are just inactive lazy, ignorant, or disgusted with politics in general and find no candidate that satisfies the issues they deem important. Others even say it doesn't matter. The more common view among avid voters is that a person whom doesn't vote, doesn't have a say about the future, good or bad. However, I disagree with that view to an extent because the fact is many people actually don't vote in the national election, but do vote in local and state elections. Personally, I do vote.



Bobby

I vote.

I'm part of the selection process that picks who's going to decide what happens to our collective purse strings. There is often too much rhetoric during campaigns; the issues get lost. Sometimes it's difficult to research all of what a candidate stands for. It requires time on my part. But in the end, it's worth it.

If you don't vote, your opinions are meaningless.

Only 2 people want to contribute to this thread?

How does this look for the future of our governing bodies?

We are not even a speck in the voting public,but there has to be a reason to vote(or not) out there!!

Magprob said in another thread that the really intelligent people aren't on this site...
For that comment, he's eligible for the plank!! Aarr!!
But, it's common for many to keep their opinion to themselves. For good reason! If we put ourselves in the limelight, we become targets. But by being a target, that too elicits opinion.
I tend to think that the more open conversation, and by open I mean discussion, the more opportunity for everyone to learn more about the other. Not arguing. No childish bullsh!t. The issues we vote on have an affect on us all. I'd like to be certain we make appropriate and informed choices.

I totally agree,I am NOT here to judge someone's opinion,I want discussion,open ended,how do you feel about... discussion.

Does anyone else?

Apparently not many, too bad for them,Voting in the dark is just not a good idea!

I vote, when I can - I don't get time or the day off on election day.

Since I'm independent / not registered to a particular party / I miss all the primary stuff.

Here's my take.

I am an Orthodox Jew. I follow the Torah law. Unlike US law which thinks in terms of one's "rights", the Torah speaks in terms of one's "responsibilities". That is how I feel about the ight to vote: it isn't a RIGHT, it's a RESPONSIBILITY. Every citizen has a responsibility to take a hand in determining his future and the future of the nation as a whole. If you do not vote, you are abrogating that responsibility for the determination of your future, and that of your children.

Or, looked at from another point of view, the only way that our rights can truly be taken away from us is if we choose not to excersize them. Our guns can only be taken away from us if we choose to allow it to happen. Our freedoms of religion, press, expression, etc. can only be taken from us if we allow it to happen. And our right to vote can only be taken away from us if we allow it. The method by which we excersize ALL of our rights to keep them from being taken away from us is through voting. If you do not vote, it is the same as surrendering your ights to someone else. If a man does not excersize his rights, he should not be surprised when they are taken from him.

For those who don't think that their vote counts, Florida in the 2000 Presidential election and Ohio in the 2004 election should disabuse them of that notion. Every vote counts.