I do not vote.
It is not a hard and fast rule, but most of the time I opt not to vote.
When I tell people this, I normally hear one of two responses. One: "That's un-American," or two: "Then you have no right to complain."
First of all, not voting is just as much the right of every American as is voting. Just because something is a right or freedom does not mean it is required. A right or freedom gives the ability to do something, but it also says that a person does not have to express that ability.
Look at the Constitution's First Amendment and the number of freedoms it offers that people choose not to practice on a daily basis. How many people own a printing press? How many people write letters to the government each day? Not everyone does these things, but we all trust that certain people are using these rights on behalf of us all.
Second of all, I refuse to vote in an election just so I have "the right to complain."
Again, take a look at the First Amendment. It guarantees all Americans "the freedom of speech" and the right "to petition the government for a redress of grievances." Nowhere does the Constitution say that these rights become voided if a person elects not to vote. People who do not or cannot (think of all the Americans under the age of 18) vote have just as much right to complain about the government as anyone else.
A big reason why I personally often choose not to vote is because of the seemingly regular lack of difference between the two candidates. Most candidates just parrot some party line and have little creativity when it comes to fixing the ills of American society. The people who do show creativity and step outside of the box are seen as radicals and find themselves out of the running and quickly forgotten.
A term that seems to get tossed around a lot during election times is "the lesser of two evils." A lot of people often find that both candidates running for a particular office are less than appealing, but vote for the one that is not quite so bad in their minds.
This is one of the problems with our system right now. The choice people are often presented with lies somewhere between smashing their foot with a hammer and poking themselves in the eye with a fork. Why can't we find a candidate that doesn't involve any kind of self-mutilation at all?
One thing that could help America out in that area would be the inclusion of more than just the two major political parties. Right now, third-party candidates are seen as jokes and simply do not have the resources to compete with the Democrats and Republicans. As long as this continues, the options people have to choose from will remain the same.
Instead of playing into the currently flawed system, I choose to save my votes for the people whom I feel can make a difference. After all, that is my right.
Go ahead and call me confused, disenfranchised or ignorant, but don't you dare call me un-American.
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