It's Okay NOT To Vote
With the upcoming election, I feel it is only appropriate to address my own view on it all. You see, I am about to turn 20, and have not registered to vote. Not because I do not care, but because I do. I can honestly say I do not support either candidates that are running this year. I dislike them both a great deal and honestly cannot choose one above the other.
This has brought on a lot of judgement. People saying, "Oh well you HAVE to vote because it is your right!", "People FOUGHT for your right to vote!", "It is your DUTY!". Honestly though, it is just as much a right for me not to vote. That is the thing about America, the power of choice. I am obtaining from the vote because I do not want to say that I supported either party, honestly. I feel like, if I am going to vote, some part of me should support them in some way or another. I cannot say this about either candidate this election. I really cannot.
To all the people judging others for not voting, listen to this; picture yourself walking down the street and passing by a church, whose denomination is not your own. A pastor comes out and says, please become a member of our church. A pamphlet about the church is handed to you and you continue on your merry way. You pass by another church you do not belong to and the same thing happens to you. You look at both pamphlets carefully and decide you do not want to become a member of either of them. You do not like what either church says they believe in. You throw both pamphlets in the garbage. A passer by witnesses you doing this and stops in their tracks and approaches you. "How DARE you? Don't you know that our soldiers fight in wars so YOU can have the freedom of religion? That means you MUST pick a religion because you can! Jesus came to this earth so you could simply believe in Him and go to heaven! By not choosing a church, you are disrespecting Him and the soldiers who died for you!" Didn't Jesus also give us the right to say no to Him as well? Is that not the point of religion and freedom anyway? The right to say yes is as equal is the right to say no?
To anyone who is abstaining from this vote, keep that in mind. It is your right to vote or to not. You should not feel guilty for going either way. To anyone judging others for not voting, remember that if we did not have a right to not vote or to vote, America would not be free.
This has brought on a lot of judgement. People saying, "Oh well you HAVE to vote because it is your right!", "People FOUGHT for your right to vote!", "It is your DUTY!". Honestly though, it is just as much a right for me not to vote. That is the thing about America, the power of choice. I am obtaining from the vote because I do not want to say that I supported either party, honestly. I feel like, if I am going to vote, some part of me should support them in some way or another. I cannot say this about either candidate this election. I really cannot.
To all the people judging others for not voting, listen to this; picture yourself walking down the street and passing by a church, whose denomination is not your own. A pastor comes out and says, please become a member of our church. A pamphlet about the church is handed to you and you continue on your merry way. You pass by another church you do not belong to and the same thing happens to you. You look at both pamphlets carefully and decide you do not want to become a member of either of them. You do not like what either church says they believe in. You throw both pamphlets in the garbage. A passer by witnesses you doing this and stops in their tracks and approaches you. "How DARE you? Don't you know that our soldiers fight in wars so YOU can have the freedom of religion? That means you MUST pick a religion because you can! Jesus came to this earth so you could simply believe in Him and go to heaven! By not choosing a church, you are disrespecting Him and the soldiers who died for you!" Didn't Jesus also give us the right to say no to Him as well? Is that not the point of religion and freedom anyway? The right to say yes is as equal is the right to say no?
To anyone who is abstaining from this vote, keep that in mind. It is your right to vote or to not. You should not feel guilty for going either way. To anyone judging others for not voting, remember that if we did not have a right to not vote or to vote, America would not be free.
I absolutely love this post! I am not a US citizen but during the elections I was thinking about what I would do if I were in your position. I think I would've done the same thing. You shouldn't have to do anything that doesn't feel right. People like to push others into making decisions they don't really support and I feel like you made the best decision for you.
ReplyDeleteI respect that for 100%.
Oh it is so great that you could connect with this! That makes me so happy!
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