Voter participation - what is your stance?

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  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,102
    Of course I vote, because...
    brianlux said:

    gimmesometruth27 said:

    i vote because if i don't i lose a little bit of the "freedom" that the candidates drone on and on about.

    i think national elections should be national holidays with compulsory voting. only then will the results be a true representation of the people.

    people will counter my opinion by stating that uninformed voters could sway the results based on the lies they hear in the media or at church or whatever, but i don't buy that.

    the only way you make people feel empowered, like they have some say or something, is to make every single one of them vote.

    Interesting notion, gimme. Would you include some kind of compulsory voter education as well (an idea my wife has proposed a number of times)?
    it is called 9th grade civics class. most people unfortunately never pay attention in that class.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,102
    Of course I vote, because...
    the funny thing is i have had hundreds of conversations on this forum the last 19 years and i still revert back to what i learned in civics class. there is a reason they make us take it.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    gimme...

    Is feeling empowered the same as actually being empowered? Your comment made me think a bit hard on this concept.

    And, would a forced vote be as valuable or even informed as one made by choice?

    To quote the mighty Peart - if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

    I will ALWAYS choose free will.
  • Go Beavers
    Go Beavers Posts: 9,559
    edited February 2016
    Here's an interesting article on non-voters. While it's 5 years old, I'm sure the survey results are pretty valid. Basically non-voters tend to be less educated, less Republican, and have less income. It supports the notion that higher voter turn out helps Democrats.
    pewresearch.org/2010/10/29/the-party-of-nonvoters/
  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,102
    Of course I vote, because...
    hedonist said:

    gimme...

    Is feeling empowered the same as actually being empowered? Your comment made me think a bit hard on this concept.

    And, would a forced vote be as valuable or even informed as one made by choice?

    To quote the mighty Peart - if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

    I will ALWAYS choose free will.

    it is more important to feel empowered. if you don't feel empowered, you have no hope. kind of a helpless, sad, and shitty way to go through life in my opinion.

    forced vote is the only way to get the opinion of all of the people. the ballot should have an option for "none of the above" as well.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,102
    Of course I vote, because...
    Go Beavers said:

    Here's an interesting article on non-voters. While it's 5 years old, I'm sure the survey results are pretty valid. Basically non-voters tend to be less educated, less Republican, and have less income. It supports the notion that higher voter turn out helps Democrats.
    pewresearch.org/2010/10/29/the-party-of-nonvoters/

    they always say high voter turnout helps dems.

    why do you think the southern states are trying so desperately to impose voter id laws? to lessen voter turnout.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • Go Beavers
    Go Beavers Posts: 9,559
    gimmesometruth27 said:

    Go Beavers said:

    Here's an interesting article on non-voters. While it's 5 years old, I'm sure the survey results are pretty valid. Basically non-voters tend to be less educated, less Republican, and have less income. It supports the notion that higher voter turn out helps Democrats.
    pewresearch.org/2010/10/29/the-party-of-nonvoters/

    they always say high voter turnout helps dems.

    why do you think the southern states are trying so desperately to impose voter id laws? to lessen voter turnout.
    That's another reason I love my state of Oregon. We just got into place automatic voter registration when you get your drivers license. Went through with minimal fuss, too.
  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,102
    Of course I vote, because...
    Go Beavers said:

    gimmesometruth27 said:

    Go Beavers said:

    Here's an interesting article on non-voters. While it's 5 years old, I'm sure the survey results are pretty valid. Basically non-voters tend to be less educated, less Republican, and have less income. It supports the notion that higher voter turn out helps Democrats.
    pewresearch.org/2010/10/29/the-party-of-nonvoters/

    they always say high voter turnout helps dems.

    why do you think the southern states are trying so desperately to impose voter id laws? to lessen voter turnout.
    That's another reason I love my state of Oregon. We just got into place automatic voter registration when you get your drivers license. Went through with minimal fuss, too.
    that is pretty sweet. i think it should be easy to register voters.

    i moved to the next town over several months ago. it was such a pain in the ass to have my new address put on my driver's license. they needed an unpaid bill or my passport. i just paid my personal property taxes from this address in december and they could not look me up because the computer system was allegedly down. likely story, assholes.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,675
    Of course I vote, because...
    ... it doesn't seem logical not to.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • Free
    Free Posts: 3,562
    Of course I vote, because...
    Oregon is awesome.
  • Free
    Free Posts: 3,562
    edited February 2016
    Of course I vote, because...
    ...because apathy and complacency are of an evil nature.
    Post edited by Free on
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    It's important - to me - to not equate choosing to not vote (which is yet to be decided on my part) with apathy or complacency (or ignorance).
  • JimmyV
    JimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,598
    Of course I vote, because...
    hedonist said:

    It's important - to me - to not equate choosing to not vote (which is yet to be decided on my part) with apathy or complacency (or ignorance).

    Agreed. Not knowing or caring how to even go about voting is apathy. Consciously choosing not to is not.
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • Free
    Free Posts: 3,562
    edited February 2016
    Of course I vote, because...
    Choosing to vote can very well be looked at as a choice of being a concerned citizen or the opposite - complacent about our civic duty or apathetic.
    Post edited by Free on
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Free said:

    Choosing not to vote can very well be looked at as a choice of being a concerned citizen or the opposite - complacent about our civic duty or apathetic.

    Right, but I was commenting on your post, pre-edit.

    Cheers to ya, Boston Jimmy ;)
  • Free
    Free Posts: 3,562
    edited February 2016
    Of course I vote, because...
    hedonist said:


    Agreed. Not knowing or caring how to even go about voting is apathy. Consciously choosing not to is not.

    Not what I meant. I went back and edit it for further clarification. If you choose not to be a concerned citizen, you do not vote. You both are making exceptions to that rule, as if choosing not to vote is OK. It's not. You're choosing to be complacent and or apathetic.

    If you disagree fine, but it doesn't look good if you don't vote. As a citizen.
    Post edited by Free on
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Free said:


    hedonist said:


    Agreed. Not knowing or caring how to even go about voting is apathy. Consciously choosing not to is not.

    Not what I meant. I went back and edit it for further clarification. If you choose not to be a concerned citizen, you do not vote. You both are making exceptions to that rule, as if choosing not to vote is OK. It's not. You're choosing to be complacent and or apathetic.

    If you disagree fine, but it doesn't look good if you don't vote. As a citizen.
    It doesn't look good to whom? You? Others?

    Sorry, but how I reflect upon and judge myself and my conscience trumps (honestly, no pun intended) your view and that of others. Fine by me if people want to make assumptions about me and my choices, or non-choices as the case may or may not be.

    That said, and if we're being honest here, I'm prone to making assumptions about people who sweep judgments on others.

    So I get where you're coming from.
  • Free
    Free Posts: 3,562
    edited February 2016
    Of course I vote, because...
    could
    JimmyV said:

    hedonist said:

    It's important - to me - to not equate choosing to not vote (which is yet to be decided on my part) with apathy or complacency (or ignorance).

    Agreed. Not knowing or caring how to even go about voting is apathy. Consciously choosing not to is not.
    That's called complacency
    Post edited by Free on
  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Conscious choice is self-imposed ignorance?

    That statement in itself is ignorant at most, short-sighted at the least, to me. Discounting knowledge based on that choice.

    I do find some political talk enlightening but man...there comes a time to say fuck it for the time being and turn to music instead.

  • hedonist
    hedonist Posts: 24,524
    Also, I'd like to note that you changed ignorance to complacency. Still consider both BS but felt it should be acknowledged.

    Goddamn editing!

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