A Different Look at Why We Should Vote

There is a strong rhetoric about voting being our duty as Americans. Frankly, I don't buy into it. In fact, I usually just vote because I feel like I will get hassled if I don't. I'm just not that into politics and I know for most issues my vote doesn't count for much. With that being said, I have encountered another reason for voting that seems to make more sense for me.

Voting causes us to explore our values and our beliefs. It seems that nearly every single proposition makes us question what we value: low taxes, homosexual marriage, etc. Voting challenges us to think about how life should be. And voting also makes us question what is feasible and what is not. For instance, I hear that certain propositions are good in principle but would create bureaucracies that would not achieve the goal very well.

And of course, voting also confronts our disdain for making a choice. Punching a ballot is permanent and suddenly our opinion becomes written in stone. We are forced not just to explore our ideas but also to stick with them, right or wrong. This is important for people who try to avoid tough decisions and rather would like to stick with thinking about them endlessly.

So 2 weeks from today you (who are Americans) have the opportunity to vote. If you don't feel that voting is your duty, perhaps you can just think of it as a way to challenge yourself to grow. But try to do some soul-searching before you vote. And don't leave your chads hangin'....