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Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » "Why don't THEY want us to vote? Because when we vote things change". Said by Kamala Harris. Agreed to by you or dis?
RosieG

"Why don't THEY want us to vote? Because when we vote things change". Said by Kamala Harris. Agreed to by you or dis?

Posted - August 16, 2020
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Responses


  • 6023
    Allegedly, mail-in voting results in a higher voter turnout.
    At least, that is how it was sold in WA and OR.
    However, in the last WA election, voter turnout averaged just 54.09%
    https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/Turnout.html
    That means, even if one person got a majority of the vote - they maybe only got 28% of the eligible votes.  Not even 1/3!

    So ... as the saying goes ... you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

    In other words, I agree that voting can change things - but there are too many people that won't vote, no matter how bad things get.
    The irony is ... it's not "big business" that runs our government.  It's the 1/3 of people who elect the leaders.
    The "Big Business" conspiracy is just a smoke screen to make the non-voters feel better about not voting.
      August 16, 2020 3:49 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Paying taxes is MANDATORY. I think voting should be MANDATORY too. Don't you? What happens when you get caught not paying taxes? It is costly and you get punished. Here's the thing. As citizens what are our obligations? Why isn't voting one of them? I don't get it. Thank you for your reply and I'm gonna run this up the flagpole to see who salutes! :)
      August 17, 2020 2:10 AM MDT
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  • 16663
    It is in Australia. You either vote or provide a valid reason why not.
      August 17, 2020 2:56 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    That is AWESOME good to know R. AWESOME good! Makes perfect sense. Now of course if someone is having an operation or recuperating from one they can't go OUT and vote. You do have mail-in votes in Australia don't you? So if you have early voting then a citizen could vote BEFORE the operation.

    I don't understand why voting isn't MANDATORY for citizens in every country. It's not as if you have to do it DAILY or WEEKLY or MONTHLY. You do it PERIODICALLY and have advance notice so you bone up on those who running for different offices and make an INFORMED decision. Why people are so lazy and indifferent I cannot say. Can you?

    Thank you for your reply R! :)
      August 17, 2020 3:11 AM MDT
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  • 6023

    As I said in another post ... this recent primary election in Washington, only 54% of eligible people voted.  And we were "sold" on mail-in voting because it would increase voter participation.

    So, here's a reason why voting should not be mandatory.
    What if that 46% of people who choose not to vote were forced to - so many of them said "You're forcing me to vote?  Fine, take this." and voted in such a way that they thought would screw up government.

    Don't think it could happen?  I use the draft troops in VietNam as an example.  It isn't talked about a lot, but there were many who did just enough not to get court martialed or killed.  

    There are nations other than Australia where voting is mandatory - but most of them only do it as a PR move.  "Look at our voter turnout.  90% voted for {x}."  (Of course, candidate {x} was sponsored by the state or ruling party and the vote is a sham.)

      August 17, 2020 8:02 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Once again you bring up something I did not even consider at all. Revenge. Retaliation. I don't believe in either one Walt. I just don't. I move on and ignore from then on but I would never retaliate by purposely screwing anything up. Now of course I vote in Primaries and in General elections and always have. However I do not react well to someone trying to FORCE me to comply. If I must I must and I do and I think very dark thoughts about the forcer. But if I have a choice and someone is trying to intimidate me I either tell them to get lost or I ignore them completely. But getting back at? Well can you do it without doing it? Here's what I mean. If someone who did me dirt suffers for something in some way I DO TAKE PLEASURE in it. I don't participate or cause it but I do enjoy it. I don't turn the other cheek. They never get another crack at me and I just leave. But hearing about some misfortune from afar? No tears shed at all. Maybe that is benign revenge/retaliation. I don't know. I just always felt it would do more harm to me to do that than it would do harm to my target. Thank you for your reply! :) This post was edited by RosieG at August 17, 2020 8:15 AM MDT
      August 17, 2020 8:12 AM MDT
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