Here is just a brief appeal to go out and vote. Particularly if you are young person, there is a lot out there about which we should care. Politicians will never listen to us unless we can convince them that we are willing to go out and vote in large numbers -- and the statistics show that we still do not do so. The War, Medicare/Social Security, education -- don't let your parents dictate the solutions to these problems. Have an opinion and express it.
So vote.
And more importantly vote smart. Project Vote Smart has compiled information on all the candidates and ballot issues in your area. All you need is your zip code, and they will do the rest.
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Which one are you? (December 25, 2005)
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If you are considering staying home, then stay home.
If you're not smart enough to recognize how important voting is to the health of the republic, then you're not smart enough for me to value your vote.
I would rather every single person who disagrees with me and knows why they do and why it's important to express that opinion vote than a single person who agrees with me vote because someone reminded or convinced them to do so.
It's that simple.
Whilst it is important that people do vote, we should acknowledge that any individual's vote is in itself worthless - In almost all circumstances, one vote makes no difference to the outcome, or the statistical analysis. There is probably no one who didn't vote in the last election who could look back and say "If I'd have voted, things would have turned out differently"
Hello, RFTR! You're a moron!
Not only is one person's vote unimportant in itself in almost all cases, but voting is not in itself necessary for a healthy republic. Informed and enlightened voting, yes - but if I enter the booth and pull levers/push buttons/make selections at random, I've voted, haven't I? But somehow I don't think the republic would benefit.
Governments need to convince people not to rise up and overthrow them. This can be done through a variety of means, ideally including offering sufficiently good government that everyone benefits sufficiently to wish to maintain the system, but methods range from pure force to propaganda and perception manipulation. Voting in a representative democracy doesn't give the people a voice, it gives them the feeling that they have a voice. And morons, like yourself, fall for it hook and sinker.