I failed to vote once in an important U.S. election several elections back and I felt guilty for months afterward, not because of the outcome of the election, but because many wars have been fought for the privilege to vote for someone who wants to help all Americans in their “pursuit of happiness,” even if that’s the World Wrestling Federation.
I was reminded of the importance of this voting privilege when a few weeks back I read in this newspaper about Larry Pihl making a reasonable announcement to expats at Lakeside concerning his GOTV (Go to vote) program. It was an appeal to every expat, irrespective of party affiliation—conservatives and democrats alike —with the promise that his Democrats Abroad volunteers would help anyone to vote from Mexico, regardless of who they vote for.
Fair? I thought so.
The downside to democracy is the clamor of a lot of ideas and philosophies over who gets what and how; and what laws are needed to keep people from causing worse clamor. The only way to resolve this clamor is by voting. Without it, the ideological camp that seizes power non-democratically can enter your home without permission and install a garage-gate size portrait of its leader in your living room. With smarmy messages from him/her 24/7 on news media and a ban on watching It’s a Wonderful Life.
Nobody wants that kind of governing. That’s why we must vote.
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