Security, air quality, water potability, land use, and the list goes on and on. When any one thing is too big to be one person’s problem, it becomes a problem for the populace, and once it’s everyone’s problem, it’s no one’s problem.
Securing airports is too complicated for one person to do, so a committee tries to do it, and we get security theater (to quote Bruce Schneier). Security should be everyone’s concern, and though it appears to be, we relegate it off to some government agency to handle for us. And then, when they do stupid stuff, we bitch and moan, or just suffer in silence, or sometimes we cheer because we don’t know any better.
Voting is not any one person’s problem – it’s an issue which every registered voter in America should have high on their priority list to do every year. I will be going to the polls in Mebane NC on 7 Nov 2006 to vote. Because if I vote, I exercise my right to have a say in how my government works. Those citizens who elect to not go to the polls to vote lose their chance to have a say in their government. If you don’t vote, you relegate your thoughts, opinions, judgments, and preferences off onto other people who, by definition of ‘opinion’ and ‘preference’, will not always think and act like you.
People who don’t vote are like people who toss candy wrappers out the windows of their cars on the highway. They figure a wrapper or two, here and there won’t affect anyone. And they’re right – to a point. A handful of candy wrappers, cigarette butts, and napkins won’t affect anyone. But it’s not just the candy wrapper they chuck out the window, it the other 14 million drivers who think the same way, and then bitch and moan over how gross the highways look.
Voting and being disappointed with the results does allow you to complain about the outcome – at least you threw your ballot and tried to make your preference win. But if you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the outcome because you didn’t get off your lazy butt and go to the polls. In fact, you don’t even have to get off your lazy butt to vote – you can request an absentee ballot, and vote by mail.
I think we should adopt a policy in this country similar to the one the Australians use – voting should be required if you are registered. Australia consistently has >90% voter turn-out. They fine people who don’t vote.
A lot of people in America are unhappy with their government officials, but an awful lot of them won’t show up on Election Day to try to change the situation. I don’t actually care whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist, Communist, Green, or Independence party member. I don’t care if you’re affiliated with a political party – if you’re an adult in the United States and you’re registered to vote, you should be at the polls on Election Day.
Voting is a privilege in America that many nations’ citizens do not have. Don’t squander your advantage. Unless, of course, you’re content to let other people determine your nation’s course.