PLEASE VOTE

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Freedom is not a gift, democracy is not your right. These are things one must earn through good citizenship. I voted for Richard Nixon in my first voting experience. I made that choice thinking I was voting for the lesser of two evils. I know now that I was still voting for evil. I did not make that choice ever again.

Actually, freedom IS a gift that was "bought" for us at a high price, even the shedding of blood, by those who came before us. But, like any good gift, it must be maintained, even by blood if necessary, in order to pass it on to those who come after us.

The website I mentioned in my previous post has an article discussing whether one should "vote only on principle" or "vote for the greater good." It describes two different positions on this subject, and the reasoning behind each. I have decided, based on disappointments with "electable" candidates, that when I clearly prefer a less-popular candidate, I will send my vote that direction. I hope that if more people vote for what they consider the "best" candidate, not the "lesser of two evils" candidate, we might be able to send a message to the major parties that we are not pleased with wishy-washy, fence-straddling politicians.

Unfortunately, in the June 2010 primaries in California, the voters gutted the party system and the primaries. In future general elections, we will only be able to vote for the two most popular candidates. Typically, these are the ones that look best on TV and have the most money to spend on ads, and most likely belong to one of the two main parties.