Why I Do Not Vote

If you walk up to a stranger today and tell them that you chose not to vote in the primary elections being held across the Unites States today and the next few days, chances are you would get this response, "Well, if you don't vote then you have no room to complain." People may phrase the response differently, but the sentiment is the same.

Standing in line at a local department store this morning I heard one associate say this exact same thing to a co-worker and judging by how young the non-voter was - she probably believes this. She probably believes that choosing not to vote means choosing to be silent.

Well, I rarely vote. I abstain from the electoral process not because I am lazy or disinterested, but because I am frustrated. In addition, I admit to grumbling to friends and family often about how horrible our political situation is in this country.

So, why do I choose not to vote? The raw truth is that I find politics to be impersonal and true results unattainable. Funny, because everyday bills are introduced and discussed that are very personal to the American people. Issues such as healthcare, social security, national security and education are just some of the concerns that our government addresses on a daily basis. Why, you ask, do I feel that politics is so impersonal?

We can vote people into an office to basically fight for a belief that we have. But after we have cast our vote for that representative or that senator, the situation is out of our hands. The average person is not a lobbyist that can bombard Congress with money and promises. The only thing the average person has to offer is faith in those we vote for.

Politics is impersonal because although our benefits and our welfare rely on the government working for the people, we see our hopes shot down by Presidential vetoes and stone-walling in Congress.

The politicians that we held so much faith in become immersed in the deep-waters of party affiliation and partisan agendas that bolster political resumes, but do little for the people that these politicians claim to be serving.