Exercising my Right
I just got yet another email, read another blog post and so on demanding that I vote in some stupid election. Here is my response:
I’m just proud to be an American who has rights… and those rights include the right to vote. Thank goodness it’s not a requirement to vote, but a right, a freedom to CHOOSE to vote. I’m looking forward to not having to choose any of the candidates. I’ll let someone else take the blame and I’ll still retain the right to criticize. Yeah, that’s one of the rights too and it is NOT dependent upon exercising any other right. They can be used exclusively of each other. And since I don’t HAVE to exercise a right if it is my will, I don’t have to own a gun. I do have a small air rifle that shoots BBs which I’ve not fired at anything at all (heck, I don’t even know if it works).
I LOVE the Bill of Rights and that I can choose to exercise any of those rights at any time by doing them or NOT doing them. Heck, I’m exercising my right to not have to vote at this very moment. Most people have to wait until certain times and be in certain locations to actually vote, but the right to vote is 24/7. I can change my mind at any time and decide I want to vote (though I really can’t this year because I didn’t register to vote… but only because I CHOSE not to).
So, I’ll go to my Weight-Watchers meeting like I would any other Tuesday, and exercise my right to not vote. And still retain the right to criticize who ever gets chosen. However, please note this. I choose NOT to criticize the President, whoever he may be, because I know a higher power put him there (Romans 13:1-6) and HE has a plan that must go forward, regardless of who we think should be in that office. So I’ll abide by His choice and stand back and let history continue to be made.
At least, I will choose not to vote until they finally at the option (not by write-in, but as an actual option) to choose “None of the Above”. For I know, that no politician is honest enough for the job.
And for those of you who insist that if I don’t vote, I have no right to complain (just as Will Smith points out in some silly “Don’t Vote” video on YouTube), I say to you, that if you don’t own a gun, you have no right to complain about gun control. If you don’t plead the fifth, you have no right to complain about those who do. Get the picture? Every right is a freedom to exercise it, not a requirement. I have a right to complain… and that’s protected by Freedom of Speech… oh, yeah.. that’s a right too.
October 30th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Actually, you can vote for none of the above. You can skip any race that you want to, from railroad commissioner all the way up to president. You can even pick up a ballot, skip the booth, and walk it straight to the box.
If you want to send a message, at least make sure they know you opted out. Obama and McCain don’t read your blog.
October 30th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
That is something to consider. Hrm.. never really thought of doing it that way. And I don’t expect any political candidates to read this blog, that wasn’t the target of the post. :)
October 30th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Ever seen the movie “Brewster’s Millions”? He started his own campaign as “None of the Above”. Maybe you can start one? LOL!