VOTING IS A PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE FREEDOM

VOTING IS A PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESERVE FREEDOM

By Domenick J. Maglio, PhD. Traditional Realist

Many Americans are ignorant concerning voting. Few countries have honest elections. Voting is a responsibility and a privilege not a right. In many nations people have to be coerced into casting a vote for the leader of the nation.  They understand their vote is meaningless.  When the ruling class selects all the candidates on the ballot there is no real choice.

Participation of ninety percent of the vote for a candidate may impress the uninformed although it would most likely be a process of rubber stamping a pre confirmed person. People reluctantly cast their vote out of fear of government reprisal. It is not the voice of the people but a charade perpetrated by an all- powerful government that has no inclination to give up power to the citizens.

In the U.S. media there is a constant drum beat that we have a low voter turnout in elections. Many commentators interpret this as the disenfranchisement of minority voters. These intellectuals view a low turnout as delegitimizing the electoral process. At times it seems they would like a voter process similar to one used by American Idol: vote as many times as possible for your favorite candidate in order to show we have a “true democratic system.”

In Los Angeles, California, city officials proposed a $100,000 lottery prize to be used as an incentive to increase voter turnout. It never dawned on these officials that the difference between candidates was miniscule thus lowering voter turnout. Los Angeles is a progressive bastion where the vote is only based on looks and personality, not on policies.

When people are provided real choices voters will respond. In the recent referendum in Scotland on breaking away from or remaining a part of Britain there was an 84% turnout. The same significant voter turnout took place under threats and explosions in Iraq when the people proudly showed their purple thumbs for the democratic voting in the country. In the 2012 U.S. presidential election a higher percentage of blacks voted than whites dispelling the fear of disenfranchising minority voters. There is no need for prizes or missions in promoting elections when there are meaningful choices for voters.

Our nation has been blessed by having noble and intelligent founders. They created a governmental system that entrusted the people to determine the direction of the country through free, legitimate elections. Under the constitution our founders enabled the citizens to have the responsibility to study candidate’s character, thinking and previous actions before selecting a representative. These men and local leaders realized that voters had to have “skin in the game” in terms of owning property, being literate, law abiding citizens, be of good character and be known by the community.

Often these voters had to travel difficult distances to vote. Most of these original citizens of the United States understood their voice was important in maintaining  freedom. This was ingrained in them after fighting a brutal revolution against a repressive empire. They understood their vote was a privilege that was earned by the valor of citizen soldiers. They had a strong investment in the process by being informed to select representatives to this republic.

This is not the case with the tsunami of illegal immigrants who continue to dilute legitimate citizen’s votes. Our elections are becoming easier to manipulate by the ruling class. The billions of state and national dollars poured into the election and the monolithic media controlled by a few rich individuals allow the elites to influence the outcome negating the voice of the people.

This duty to vote by citizens has changed drastically. Many elites argue that everyone should have an equal right to vote at their convenience. Voters should be given mail-in ballots and given as many days as possible to vote not to be reduced to the traditional one day to cast their ballot. Besides increasing the possibility of fraud, it leaves many voters without all the events and information that would have been available if they had voted on Election Day.

It also means anyone should be able to vote. This translates into even hardened criminals, illiterates, non-citizens and people of poor character should count equally with honorable, educated voters. Many people do not feel a person should have to show any identification when  voting to curtail fraud even though they are often required to show identification when they are using a credit card or merely checking into a hotel.

Our freedom as a nation is being jeopardized by an out of control voting process. The diluting of our standards and regulations for proper voting safeguards is a cancer eroding our responsible citizen’s ability to have their voices heard. Every uninformed and fraudulent vote cancels out a well-informed one.

Citizens who believe in our constitution have a sacred duty to vote. Being aware and informed protects our nation from exploitive power-seeking government officials.

Our heroes of the past will be smiling down on us for our sacrifices. Their legacy of free elections is worth our civic effort in order to pass on stability and freedom to our next generation.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. You can visit Dr. Maglio at www.drmaglio.blogspot.com.