With America's history of disenfranchisement, it would seem more people would exercise their responsibility to vote -- and it is a responsibility. Many people label voting as a privilege. Well, voting was rightfully seen as a privilege when there were people disenfranchised based on their skin color or religion but not now. Privileges are things that everyone does not have, and voting does not fall under that definition.
It is said that if you don't vote, you don't have a voice. That theory sounds good in rhetoric, but it never fails that most of the people who do the complaining and claim "corrupt politics" are the same people who refuse to go to the polls. Oftentimes this includes minorities, who have the worse voter turnouts. What non-voters fail to realize is that politicians are aware of this.
Politicians base their platforms and agendas around people they know will support them. The fact that many minorities do not vote is no secret, and the average politician responds. If they are not going to get your vote anyway and more importantly know that your vote is not going to their opponent, then there is no reason to make policies in your favor. You have no representation.
So why do so many minorities decide to forgo their democratic responsibility? Much of this rests in minorities' distrust of American politics in general. The average minority's discontent with America's government has existed since slavery and likely will never take a full turn toward patriotism. For some reason, many blacks feel that refusing to vote is equated with making a statement. It does, but it's not the statement intended.
While a minority refusing to vote might think he or she is boycotting the system, the person really is signaling to those in power that no matter how much minorities criticize government policy, they are content enough to let wealthy white members of society, who compose the highest voter turnout, choose their leaders for them. The ruling class is, always has been and always will be in love with minority's self-disenfranchisement.
Many blacks who do vote try to strike guilt in nonvoting blacks by bringing up the civil rights movement. It is believed that since so many people were hosed, beaten and even killed for our right to vote, we should exercise that right.
Well, it's true. But it's also true that many blacks today have no strong sense of their history and in return do not really believe they are insulting those who fought for them. Therefore, the guilt plea has been unsuccessful for decades. Everything else has been also. At this point, it's scary to think what it would take for minorities to become interested in voting and politics.
Voting is one of the few fair policies in our country. Everyone has a fair shot, and, in most cases, no one person's vote means more than another's. Voting is important because its outcomes can change the disparities between black and white, rich and poor. Furthermore, voting results can reform education systems, housing programs and every other program in between.
So, if you didn't vote Tuesday, shame on you. It's often said that if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain. But in actuality, voters and non-voters alike are entitled to do it.
