America is Beautiful
Voting is the foundation of a democratic country.
Voting is an inalienable right granted by the constitution. Voting can also be an obligation for citizens in order to feel like they have a say in the government. But, voting is also bull.
Americans insist on living in a cloud of naiveté, pursuing a tradition that does not work and will not work because of political control and because of the Electoral College. Once Americans realize that voting does not matter and fails to represent their voice in politics, democracy might have a chance.
Big corporations and the government want (and need) Americans to think that they have political power, so they manipulate the public into thinking that voting matters. Because of shady government practices and rich political interest groups, the government is purchased. Signed, sealed and delivered to the highest bidder.
www.nightweed.com/usavotefacts.html has uncovered 20 curious facts about the presidential elections, one of which is that 80 percent of the votes in America are counted by two companies and “there is no federal agency with regulatory authority or oversight of the U.S. voting machine industry.”
The other issue with voting is the Electoral College. If I wanted to vote for Obama or Clinton for the current election, I would either have to move to a blue state (and tell myself that it was to have my voice heard) or vote and be ignored (because I live in a red state whose votes will all go to McCain). Either way, my vote doesn’t matter at all. The states are going to vote their color and if you disagree, you are ignored.
Voting places a false sense of having a say in the United States’ activities. Also, Americans don’t think after they vote. They just hope that their vote was part of the majority, not the minority.
In a Slate article, Stephen Lansburg said about the 2004 presidential election, “Your vote didn’t matter in 2000, it never mattered before 2000, and it’s very unlikely to start mattering now.”
He continued, “Your individual vote will never matter unless the election in your state is within one vote of a dead-even tie. (And even then, it will matter only if your state tips the balance in the Electoral College.)”
I’ve heard many times, “If you didn’t vote, you can’t complain.” That way of thinking keeps citizens at bay because it doesn’t allow for real change to occur. As long as Americans are under the impression that voting actually works, they won’t fight for the things that need to be changed.
Graduate student Louis Sylvester says, “Voting takes away your voice. Once you have voted, you are not listened to anymore.”
Voting is a way to make people think that they have participated and is an official way to silence them afterwards.
Voting hurts the voter. Democracy keeps citizens docile with a false sense of participation and hope. This type of behavior is not one that needs encouragement. Instead, American citizens should openly question and criticize the government at all times, not just an election year. Where’s the accountability anymore? Americans deserve better than the lies and deceit generated by the national democratic means of political candidacy.
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I disagree, I find that the electoral college almost unilaterally supports the decision of the voters. Additionally, after looking around at the average american, I feel safer knowing that there are some more elite people (the electoral college) acting as a buffer between the masses and the choice itself. That way, if the common average person makes the wrong decision, the electoral college (which was approved by early americans in a legal manner) will be there to save us from ourselves, much like the rescue worker that frees an animal from a hunter’s trap even while the animal tries to harm them. If you look around at the average american, do you think they’re smart enough and wise enough to make the right choice? If you do, you’re probably an average american.
I believe that one should always vote, but I can see Tolson’s point. For example, Hillary Clinton received a a very large majority of votes in the Oklahoma Primary. Before the last primary, five of OK’s ten Super Delegates pledged their support for Obama. One pledged for Clinton. The other four were undeclared until the last primary. A prime example of those in power ignoring the will of the people.