Forum Post: Please Vote
Posted 12 years ago on May 14, 2012, 9:17 a.m. EST by forjustice
(178)
from Kearney, NE
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
"I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of the people. They never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down." - Paul Weyrich, ALEC co-founder.
The less you vote the more power they have. They've admitted this. They pass laws to suppress peoples abilities to vote. I understand the frustration that leads to not voting. But don't bow to the wishes of the one percent. Vote!
Agreed.
We need to run candidates, and get involved in the political system to be able to actually change it. If not and we choose to complain but not get involved we won't achieve anything.
I've launched a site to vote on policy proposals (user-submitted proposals) called http://the99percentvotes.com
If it catches on, I think it can make a big difference and over time get government working for the people.
Hope you'll check it out, sign up, and spread the word.
Already signed up:)
Nice try. Missing a major point though. Yes, voting is as important as hell (people have died in wars over this), but when the powers that be completely control which candidates we can vote for, we are not really getting to cast a vote that counts.
If voting is important enough to die for, then having a fair system to vote in should be of equal importance. Stop yelling at me to vote when you can't even acknowledge the system is RIGGED.
All this amounts to is another slogan. Rock the Vote....blah...blah.
You're vote counts so much, now go vote for either Romney or Obama. Wait, you want to vote for someone else, don't be stupid, that won't count. ARRGH!! FIX THE RIGGED SYSTEM!
I will vote for a third party candidate. Voting for either Romney or Obama or a non vote are all consent for the way things are. The candidate I vote for won't win. But at least my vote will be a statement. And the greatest part yet? Voting will in no way interfere with any other actions I take to fix a corrupt system. It won't halt any rallies. It won't un-sign petitions I've signed. It won't stop my regular letters to my congressman. It won't make me buy products from companies that I choose to boycott. It doesn't stop me from educating everyone I talk to.
"don't be stupid"? "ARRGH!!"
You do realize voting and activism are not mutually exclusive? Right? Many Americans will face ballot initiatives, local elections or choices for congressmen that may make a difference. It saddens and frustrates me that people who are progressive would join the radical right in discouraging voters.