The power to vote represents the power to elect competency used to create or incompetency used to destroy. Those who vote have the power to destroy or the power to create and this power comes with a responsibility. A government of the people, by the people, for the people—but what kind of people vote and what kind of people do the people elect?
Voting is not just filling in a bubble on a ballot and dropping it into a box or selecting the letter (R) or (D) at your local polling station. It is a type of freedom and privilege many died to create. Voting entails thought, knowledge and most importantly, respect for the United States Constitution as a duty. More importantly, it is not a duty to vote; it is a duty to correctly vote. And quite frankly, every citizen’s responsibility.
The United States is erroneously described as a democratic nation, when in fact, we are a Constitutional Republic. The difference in a democracy and our Constitutional Republic; in a democracy, officials are elected by the majority and pass laws with majority influence. This allows the majority to do what the majority has always done, leave the minority subject to abuse and neglect.
The system allows voters to elect representatives who later create laws that must comply with the constitution and should be done with the best interest of Americans not political party lines or the opportunity to maintain power. While the majority still rules in the selection of representatives, an official charter lists and protects certain inalienable rights, thus protecting the minority from the arbitrary political whims of the majority.
In order to protect our rights as individuals, voters must become informed. It is not enough to be informed on the platforms of the candidates. It is not enough to be informed on how each candidate affects your emotions. It is a voter’s responsibility as citizens to inform themselves on how each candidates’ platform complies with our constitution and respect to. Thomas Jefferson doubted the viability of a self-governing people because it took participation, understanding, and the unwavering support to protect what is easily destroyed.
The 2nd Amendment is a perfect example. It represents the importance of being an informed voter. Candidates play on your emotions to illicit a response that will trigger an action. That action is always to vote for them. When a candidate tells you that they will outlaw certain guns, certain magazine clips, ammunition sales and the like, they are in direct violation of the United States Constitution. However, if you do not like guns and are for the removal of, this rhetoric is music to your ears.
What if a candidate said they plan on writing legislation to prevent women from voting? The LBGT community? Minorities? What if a legislature tries to remove these protected rights piece by piece, not infringing on the right totally; but a long game. A plan to remove the protections of the Constitution slowly while no one is paying attention. Those things would certainly get people’s attention, and certainly an attempt to stop such behavior would occur. Not only because those words and the threat of such an action are morally wrong, but also an attempt to create such law is in direct violation of the Constitution attacking individual freedoms.
So why does it matter? It matters because all Americans must respect that the constitution protects the individual and not the majority. It protects someone’s right to own a gun, regardless of whether someone else likes it, but it also protects someone’s right to vote, regardless of whether someone else likes it. People must uphold the Constitutions as a whole, not in bits and pieces that fit their emotions or what their “ideal” world is while forcing those bias agendas on those who think differently.
People must do better to understand why their neighbors’ right to own a gun is just as important as their right to free speech, for both of these rights are non-negotiable. It is not just or equitable to protect only the rights that align with a voter and ignore the others. Citizens must commit to truly learning about our nation and not just the abridged version candidates want us to know. And yes, that includes the dirty, inhumane, and atrocious parts of America’s past and her people as well.
Without the commitment to be informed and understanding the responsibility that comes with citizenship, a vote is simply a decision used to undermine the Constitution and the protections it provides the individual. It is a vote made with emotion rather than rational thought, it is a vote made with feelings rather than knowledge, it is a vote made with fear rather than love; it is an irresponsible vote—One absent of empathy.
It is incorrect and a contributing factor to the Nation’s state of affairs. When people vote they must be informed and understand who, what, and why they are voting for as they graciously put a check by a name. People must be able to justify and arguably give substantive reasons why you voted. Not because the candidate is a woman, is a man, is white, is black, is religious, is Republican, is Democrat, or any other non-essential, aesthetically pleasing, unimportant reason to vote for a person. Our society has shown great people come in many different versions. The most important of these is how they treat those different from their own identity and how competent their ability to lead is.
It is an honor when a voter casts that ever important decision electing those who can either unite or divide. A standard of decency and competency must exist at every level of representation. If you are not convinced that a candidate is worthy of your vote, force them to offer further evidence that proves otherwise. And, never vote by selecting the lesser of two evils as the consequence is still evil. Force all candidates to be better. This will force our elected officials to create a better future for us all.
“The United States is erroneously described as a democratic nation, when in fact, we are a Constitutional Republic. The difference in a democracy and our Constitutional Republic; in a democracy, officials are elected by the majority and pass laws with majority influence. This can leave the minority largely unprotected.”
Our Republic allows us to elect representatives who create laws that comply with the constitution. While the majority still rules in the selection of representatives, an official charter lists and protects certain inalienable rights, thus protecting the minority from the arbitrary political whims of the majority.”[1]
[1] Longley, Robert. “Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference?” ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/republic-vs-democracy-4169936.