Plus, I am admittedly not mature enough to accept the results of an election if those results are egregious to me. If we tell people to get out and vote, we must be mature enough to accept the results of that election. We cannot encourage people to vote, then scorn and vilify them for the choice they made.
A more honest slogan would be, "get out and vote - as long as you vote for who I'm voting for."
If I had my own country - Sturganistan - voters would be required to take an exam testing their knowledge of the candidates, issues, government, etc. The exam would be held the same day as the election. Maybe just a quick Scantron (remember those?). If a person fails the exam, they don't get to vote in that election. This weeds out uninformed voters. "But," some might protest, "that would prevent like sixty percent of people from voting!"
I know! Wouldn't that be great?!
I don't have a problem with giving voting rights to convicted felons. I do have a problem giving voting rights to people who only read infowars.com and have never heard of Snopes. But, in all honesty, taking away someone's right to vote because he or she is a bumbling idiot would undermine democracy.
But I also have a problem with the way we - meaning average citizens, not big bad government boogeymen - use guilt trips and/or fear mongering to pressure others into voting. We cite the sacrifice of soldiers who have died for the cause of freedom, implying that by not exercising your right to vote, you're somehow desecrating the tomb of the unknown soldier. I also have the right not to vote. Am I devaluing my rights because I don't think like you?
We also call to mind tyrants of the past and present, and say that not voting will put in power the next Hitler. But, we've been willfully electing corrupt, crooked men and women to office for years, even with a gleeful appreciation for our right to vote. If Hitler - or maybe someone who just shared a lot of Hitler's views - were running for President on the Republican ticket, many Republicans would still vote for him.
Why?
Because so many of us don't vote for candidates or even issues. We vote for a party. An ideal. Even if the party to which we belong doesn't actually have that ideal's best interest. If we're Republicans, we'll vote for a chainsaw wielding rodeo clown, as long as he's got an R next to his name. If we're Democrats, we'll vote for a sociopath who shoots puppies on live television, as long as he mentions the ninety-nine percent. People are more dogmatic about their politics than about their religion. People will turn away from God because they don't like the Bible's account of Creation, or they disagree with its view of marriage. But they'd rather die than turn their backs on liberalism or conservatism, even if their candidate's platform is more full of holes than Bonnie and Clyde's V8 (too soon?).
As a Christian, I hear some brothers and sisters in Christ tell me it's among a Christian's duties to vote. It's not. The apostles of the early Church had no voting rights, and if they spoke out against the regime of Rome, their skulls were turned into ashtrays. In fact, most of the Twelve Apostles were indeed martyred for proclaiming Christ, and they did so with faith and bravery that required no Congressman Combover (R-West Virginia) to promise he'd put the Ten Commandments back on the schoolhouse walls. They did so by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I'm very thankful for my freedom of religion, and those who have fought for it and defended it, but the purpose of Christianity is not to influence government and power. That would be Islam, whose own doctrine states its purpose is to bring the world into submission to Allah. Rather, the purpose of Christianity is to tell others the good news of the redeeming life, death, and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ, and that He's invited each of us to have a personal relationship with Him, and to live in His glorious kingdom now and for eternity. This is the Gospel, and it's not a nationalistic gospel - not an American gospel, not even an Israeli gospel.
Remember, there are countless Christians around the world who live in countries where they have no voting rights. But they carry out their mission in Christ without it.
Many Christians tend to vote Republican because many Republicans cater to the "evangelical" crowd (that word means nothing anymore, by the way - it just means white folks who consider themselves religious and vote Republican; an "evangelical" and a Christian are two different things sometimes). But many of the most hardcore "conservative" values are at odds with Jesus' values. See the most strident conservative stances on immigration and helping the poor via government programs.
"Vote third party!" some might interject.
Well, the third party candidate we have this election year doesn't know what Aleppo is, and claims the solution to global warming is to inhabit other planets. So, no. A third option doesn't hold merit simply by being an alternative.
Voting is a precious right, one for which I'm very thankful. I look at the phony elections held by Saddam Hussein and shudder at his corruption. Look, nobody wants to badmouth Saddam Hussein. But my point is, voting is important and a privilege we should hold dear. But if we hold it so dear, we must use it with discernment. We must vote informed, prepared, and persistent: we must be informed of the facts, prepared to accept responsibility for our decisions and not blame "the system," and persistent in voting. If we become complacent, they (whoever "they" are) know that they can prevent true progress in this country.
Furthermore, we mustn't scrutinize those who make an informed decision not to vote. This undermines the idea of freedom of choice, and democracy. So, if you choose not to vote, if you believe the thrill of pushing buttons is less important than a burden-free conscience, don't worry - you're not a flag burning commie.
P.S. In Sturganistan, the voting age is thirty.
(Edit, post-2016 election: I'd like to point out that Donald Trump lost the popular vote by 3 million, yet he is still the President - your vote doesn't matter. There are only a few hundred votes in Presidential elections that count, and yours isn't one.)
