Stay home - Part 2

Background: Another call for people to vote. Another call to stay home.

Whitney Gronski laments her younger sister’s refusal to register to vote. In spite of emails and text messages encouraging her sister to register, she apparently has refused.

Whenever Election Day approaches, columnists, rock stars, politicians, and older siblings encourage everyone to register and exercise their right to vote. Unfortunately, this puts the cart before the horse. Voting is the final step in a repetitive process that demands responsibility. If you wish to exercise your right to vote, you have a responsibility to learn about the candidates and the issues.

If you lack the motivation to spend a few minutes casting a vote on Election Day, you certainly don’t have the motivation to educate yourself on the candidates. If everything you know about a candidate comes from a handful of television ads, stay home.

In addition, your responsibility doesn’t end with knowing a candidate’s positions on the issues. Understanding the Constitution and the proper, limited role of government in society are prerequisites to being a responsible voter.

To Ms. Gronski’s unmotivated sister I say, "Stay home. Don’t vote."

[Letter to the Editor - The State News. Published 07/08/2008.]