To Vote or Not to Vote? Is That Really a Question?

September 8, 2008

I hear some individuals are planning to sit out the November 4 election this year. They say Hillary Clinton is not on the ballot and neither Obama nor McCain is appealing, so they have no reason to vote. They say they do not want to take responsibility for electing either Obama or McCain. They say the state they live in is going to go to Obama or McCain so what difference does their one vote make anyway. They say…any number of things to excuse the fact that they are giving up a fundamental human right, one that citizens of countries the world over (including ours) have fought and died over.

Perhaps I am old enough to look back on elections past with some insight. Maybe it’s living in the present with the increasingly difficult news of war, recession, global warming and other serious issues slapping me in the face everyday. Or possibly it’s because I look to the future with anticipation that our country can live up to the ideals upon which it was founded. Whatever it is, I believe we are standing at a crossroads and each of us has the obligation to make the choice as to the direction we want America to go.

On one hand, we can ride out the chaotic storm we are currently sitting in the midst of and hope for the best. We can choose the candidate with a platform that, for example, calls not for ENDING the Iraq war but for WINNING that war. We can vote for the candidate with a platform that considers discrimination immoral EXCEPT in the case of sexual orientation, and calls for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman. We can support the candidate who does not support “equal pay for equal work” by women. (Read the Republican Platform.)

On the other hand, we can vote for the candidate who offers us change. We can choose the candidate with a platform that calls for bringing “the war in Iraq to a responsible end.” We can vote for the candidate with the platform that fights to end discrimination of any kind and that vows to “Support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation…”We can support the candidate with the platform that supports a woman’s right to choose and “equal pay for equal work.” (Read the Democratic Platform.)

It is not only the party platforms nor whether we like the candidates themselves that should determine whether we vote or not. Other factors require our consideration. The next President of the United States will more than likely be nominating 1-3 new justices to the Supreme Court in the coming 4 years. Think long and hard about the recent Supreme Court decisions that have been handed down. Have you liked the way the justices have decided? Here are some recent cases in case you have forgotten. Your vote for President could make a difference in how future Supreme Court cases are decided.

Another reason to vote is you will the opportunity to elect State Representatives and Senators from your party of choice. Providing the new President with a majority in the Senate and House of Representatives will enable the work of the country to proceed at a much faster clip. A definite advantage.

Are you still thinking about staying home on Election Day?

Kathy B.