Voting is not a "Right" it is a Solemn Responsibility

Recently, I had an intriguing debate with a friend over a previous post on Biblical Conservatism over the recently passed and proposed Voter Identification laws in several states and of Democrats outcry and claims of racism that have come up. My friend raised an excellent point that bears repeating: "Believe it or not, there is no right to vote in the US Constitution. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that we have a right to vote."

He is right. The right to vote is never listed in the Constitution, nor in the Bill of Rights, nor in the other 17 Amendments. The only statement of the right to vote in the Constitution at all is in the 26th Amendment, where it is stated that neither the Federal government nor the state governments may infringe upon a person's right to vote due to their age, provided they are at least 18 years old. (For the record, it doesn't say that a person's right to vote cannot be taken away for other reasons, like committing certain felonies.)
There is an important point in that statement, one which I have mentioned in passing but not directly: Voting should not be a thoughtless process. We treat voting as something you're just supposed to do, so show up and do it. The typical "let’s get out and vote" attitude never stresses the necessity of taking that vote seriously. People vote for someone because they sound nice, or are handsome, or because they are a woman or a minority and "it's time we have a female/minority President." As a matter of fact, too many people vote without having a clue, and that is a problem.
Let's compare that to our Founding Fathers and other American Statesmen:
Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself and that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own. - Daniel Webster, 1840 (1)
Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual - or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. - Samuel Adams, 1781 (2)
Compare that attitude to "just get out and vote because it's really, super-duper important." Too many people vote on style over substance, or because voting is something they are "supposed to do" or even because it's a rite of passage. Democrats, of course, LOVE IT, because their policies are centered around the "at least we're trying" lines that Neighborhood Liberals love so dearly. (Democrats also love that the same Neighborhood Liberals don't pay attention to whether or not these expensive policies work in the slightest, they "tried." I once "tried" to knock over a brick wall by pushing on it. It didn't work either.)

The truth is, the modern Democratic Party thrives on the backs of people who vote because they're supposed to and then vote Democrat on the backs of platitudes like "Democrats are the party of the little guy." For the record, the Democratic Party is actually the party of "Big Union" and "Big Liberal Activist Organization." They don't give a toss about the "little guy" any further than the fact that the "little guy" is willing to give them power over and over again. I've said that constantly here, so I won't reassess why (you're just going to have to go back and read)!

For the record, I don’t want people to vote Republican for similar bad reasons. If Sarah Palin does become the GOP nominee as I have predicted, for example, I don’t want people to vote for her because “it’s time for a woman President.” It’s lame when it supports my side too.

Here’s the reality folks: If you’re going to vote, take the time to make an informed decision. Find out the historical implications of both candidates’ policies. If you want to know the history of Conservatism, look at the 1980s. You will see that genuine Conservatism means low taxes but significantly higher tax receipts (once again, that’s total dollars received from taxation, for those of you from Palm Beach County, FL). You will see a robust economy with low unemployment and booming economic growth. Be sure to look into the REAL history of the Reagan years. Don’t buy into the Liberal revisionist history that “Reagan increased deficits” when the truth is Democrats were spending 180% of tax receipts before Reagan, and when Reagan doubled tax receipts, the Democrat Congress spent 180% of that mount as well!
If you want to see the historical results of Liberalism, first of all, look around. But if you want something from history, look at the latter half of the 1970s when Jimmy Carter was President. You’ll see a top marginal tax rate of 70% (you read that right, the top bracket kept only $.30 of every dollar they earned thanks to Liberal tax policy) and yet they still had deficits of 180% of tax receipts (so apparently higher taxes doesn’t solve a spending problem). You’ll see unemployment at 12% (sound familiar?) and a massive recession (sound familiar?). You’ll see gas prices at ridiculous levels (sound familiar?) and the only solutions being offered being pie in the sky green energy solutions like solar and wind (sound familiar?).

It’s not at all difficult to ascertain what the results of particular political policies will be when they are presented in a campaign. If you do just a little bit of legwork, you’ll find out that Liberal policies have never failed to fail and Conservative policies have lead to economic growth and prosperity. It’s not hard to do your research. Watch three debates then read up on the historical implications of those polices.

You only have to do it once, as economic reactions to political policies are relatively constant because human nature is also relatively constant. It’s not hard to see that if you take money (aka business capital) out of the pockets of business owners you are taking away resources that can be invested into their business, leading to new innovations in product and production which means a need for a larger workforce with then means more people paying taxes as well as contributing to the economy. (For those of you from Palm Beach County, that means when business owners have more money they invest it in their companies, create new products and hire more workers who then pay taxes and buy stuff).

Here’s the point, and there’s no two ways about it: If you’re going to vote, for crying out loud vote intelligently. Do your research, and make an informed decision. Don’t vote for somebody because they give pretty speeches or because of the color of their skin. Also, don’t vote against somebody who has good policies and experience because they don’t give pretty speeches. Also, for the tiny handful of people who would actually vote against somebody because of their gender or skin tone, please follow these instructions. Open your hand. Place your hand behind your head, palm facing out. Ready? Thrust your hand forward very quickly. (For those of you from Palm Beach County, that means smack yourself upside the head.) As I’ve said before, the whole “you don’t like Obama because he’s black” is a baloney ad homonym argument as it pertains to 99% of people. The remaining 1% of you, please do me a favor and smack yourself upside the head again, for you are a moron.

Now I do recognize that there are those who have genuinely considered the facts and still have concluded they should vote Democrat because they are convinced of Liberalism. I do encourage you to do more research (keep reading Biblical Conservatism, for one) about the historical implications of Liberalism. However, if you have done your research and arrived at a different conclusion than me, fine. You’ve done your homework and you’ve been convinced in the other direction. I don’t agree with you, but I do respect your right to an opinion. See, I do respect other opinions, as long as they have been formed intelligently!

Those of you, who vote without doing research, I’m begging you to vote with your feet on Election Day: Put them up on a coffee table and stay home. Voting is a solemn responsibility, so if you’re not going to take it seriously, please just don’t vote at all. I’m not kidding. Please take that responsibility seriously or stay home.

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(1) Daniel Webster, The Works of Daniel Webster (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1853), Vol. II, p. 108, from remarks made at a public reception by the ladies of Richmond, Virginia, on October 5, 1840, (Found at http://tinyurl.com/yfl9kmv)

(2) Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256, in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781 (Found at http://tinyurl.com/yfl9kmv)