Now I understand that there are a variety of reasons why some people choose not to cast their vote, the main one being the fact that many folks feel like it doesn’t really matter what the “People” want since too many of our Elected Officials tend to be more concerned with their “special” interests than what is best for the people they are elected to serve.
Yet knowing this doesn’t stop me from believing in the power of the People. And with that power comes a responsibility to take any and every opportunity given to use your voice to speak up and out about the issues that matter most to you as an individual and to our communities as a whole. And for some, the only means of “speaking up and out” is by voting!
And when it comes to local elections and judicial appointments, it is crucial that the community understands how important it is to get out there and vote because these are the people making decisions and presiding over cases dealing specifically with issues that directly affect you!
What bothers me though, are the folks who don’t bother to vote, yet are the first to complain. These folks never fail to have an opinion on any and everything related to politics, yet their attitude is, why vote? I’ll let the “people” make the choice. They complain about politicians they don’t agree with, policies they can’t believe got passed, and love to ask, “who in the hell voted for him/her?” um…did you vote? No? Then how are you going to sit up here and complain!? Hell, that person got voted in because you neglected to vote against him/her!! Smh..
As a Black Woman I find it particularly vital that I not only take advantage of my right to vote, but that I acknowledge the sad fact that it was not that long ago that I would not have been allowed to on both accounts: 1. Being Black, 2. Being a Woman.
It wasn’t until 1920 that the 19th Amendment was ratified which prohibited state or federal sex-based restrictions on voting; and Black people were not allowed to vote until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. Now in 2006, it was amended again to renew several key protections: Providing for language assistance, Election Day monitors, and Justice Department pre-approval of voting changes. What a lot of folks don’t realize is that these protections are currently set to expire in 2031…
So yes, when it comes to voting I do take my civic duty to heart. Too many people fought, were murdered and tortured for the right to vote which some of us take for granted. Now if you choose not to vote then hey, that is your choice, but my choice is to not listen to you complain. Cuz at this point you’re tellin me you’re not interested in being part of the solution, you just want to complain about the problem. I’m just sayin…
Dawn M. Edwards 