HOME | POLITICS | SPORTS | LIFE | SCI/TECH | OPEDS | HELPFUL TIPS
|
Mar 9, 2004 As we head ever deeper into this election year the endless "Get Out the Vote" assaults are sure to become even more intense. We're attacked nonstop, whether watching tv, listening to the radio or surfing the net with badgering about how important it is to vote. Sometimes the messages are subtle, like those little "Vote 2004" logos the ABC television network has been placing in the lower right corner of its broadcasts since, oh sometime last summer (which has to be a record for the earliest the "vote" message has been foisted upon us by a major network). Other times the coercion is more extreme and direct, like some obnoxious MTV rally. It's interesting how these voting campaigns appear to be so much more organized and desperate when the Republican party happens to hold the office of president as well as controlling interest in the legislature. One can almost feel the sense of purpose and panic the Left feels at these times. Perhaps it is just a coincidence, but would ABC TV be extolling us all to vote in the year BEFORE the actual election year if the Democrats controlled the presidency and Congress? Would we see nearly as many battle cries about the importance of voting? I've always had somewhat of a different take on the whole "Get Out the Vote" message. I happen to believe we live in the greatest country on earth, and I'm counting the entire history of this planet in that statement. In the United States, we enjoy a combination of freedom, opportunity and prosperity like no other nation ever has. This is due largely to the intelligence of our founders and the power of our Constitution combined with the desire, attitude and hard work of our citizens. Given this, why do we need to be begged, cajoled and manipulated into voting?! Isn't the right to vote, to express your opinion on how things should be done, enough of a reward on its own? I also happen to think our nation is better off if the uninformed among us don't vote at all. We don't need to pressure individuals, who would rather be watching "The Bachelor" than studying up on candidates and the issues, into casting a ballot. Let them stay home on election day. These people are more prone to the lies and deceipt many politicians practice anyway. There's is nothing wrong with our truly motivated and informed neighbors making the choice of our nation's leadership. In the end, the country will be better off for it. In fact, I propose we hold all elections exclusively during the primetime tv schedule, maybe during "Average Joe, Lost in the Yukon." Just imagine the quality of our leadership then. ------------ Email Edward Abraham: eabra@myway.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
