Vote- It Matters!

One of my biggest pet peeves is when Americans do not vote. These non-voters take several different forms. You have those who rant and rave about politics but when you ask them if they voted, you get a snarky “no.” Alternatively, some people don’t care about politics and would rather watch Kim Kardashian yell at Kanye West or Justin Bieber get into a fight. Don’t forget the folks who feel they don’t know enough about politics to vote. Finally, there are those lovely cynics who yell “my vote doesn’t matter!” Allow me to cry silently for a few moments while I pound a few beers in protest. Here are three reasons why you should vote:
 
 1. Voting allows you, the ordinary American, to enact meaningful change or preserve a desirable status quo. Winners and losers are decided via the ballot box. The most direct and fundamental way to voice your displeasure or approval of a politician or policy proposal is by voting. You can rant all you want but if you do not speak your mind to those in power then your voice will not be heard. Voting may not be perfect, but keeps those in power accountable. Our system is based upon the right of the people to choose their leadership. Many other societies, both contemporary and ancient, did not have this luxury. Plenty of unworthy douchebags rule and have ruled by oppressive and tyrannical measures. They are not accountable to the people. Every politician in our country, from your local representative to immensely powerful position of the President, has to answer to the ballot box.
 
 2. Voting gives you a right to bitch by showing you are invested. If you vote, regardless of the outcome in an election, you showed you give two f#cks about the outcome. You made your dissatisfaction known in the public record. You didn’t only sit home, eat Cheetos and play World of Warcraft for 15 hours- you left your home for 30 minutes and participated in the democratic process. Now, when you complain, your complaints carry more weight because you have shown you are invested in the election. It is so much harder to listen to someone complain about “our abysmal political system” when they didn’t even show enough initiative to vote. I get people can speak their mind by not voting. However, I contend that if nothing on the ballot pleases you, write-in a candidate or policy proposal.
 
 3. Voting honors those who fought and died for our rights. Our past, current and future veterans fought and died so we could be free and exercise our rights,such as voting. What better way to honor them than to be an active citizen and participate in the society they protected? Many challengers to democracy have arisen, such as Nazism, but they failed because people were willing to fight and die for our values. Some troops paid the ultimate price- the least we can do is participate in this great society. Their sacrifice will not go unforgotten and will continue to service future generations.

There you have it-these are my top three reasons why you should vote. It is easy to take this privilege for granted. Nevertheless, having a say in the way your society is run, making your bitching more legitimate and honoring our country’s defenders make voting worth it. You will have to take a break from your precious Netflix, video games or whatever is “hip” but you will be glad you voted.
 
 Thank you so much for reading. Please like, share or comment if you would be so kind.