To Vote Or Not To Vote

I registered to vote in my county the same day I obtained an Oregon driver's license. States make it easy for their citizens to register to vote by placing voter registration cards at many government agencies. They fill them out in a matter of seconds and the agency forwards them to the registrar of voters. While I am an advocate of democracy and voting, I think not all people should be encouraged to vote. The old adage that all citizens have the responsibility to vote is foolishness. Democracy works best when informed and interested people vote, not just any body that was given a voter registration card at a driver's license station. Some people lack the education, concern or interest need to vote responsibly.

I am surely not qualified to vote in the soon to come Oregon elections. It takes time to know a community, its needs, the candidates etc. I will sit out this governor's election on the grounds of ignorance and inability to cast a responsible vote. But there will be many politicians and media types imploring me to exercise democracy by casting a ballot even though I am ignorant of the candidates and the community. Give me another year here and I will finally be ready to vote, since I do read and study issues and candidates. But I am not ready now.

Democracies function best when informed and caring people vote. But today we have too many fools voting and choosing candidates that appeal to the basest instincts in the constituencies. It's no wonder why entitlements today rule the U.S. The "vote for me and I'll see the government sends you more checks" mentality is all to common in campaigns and all too real after the election is over for taxpayers who pay for the entitlements the dead beats bring about by electing those who pander to them.

If a citizen is naturally inclined to not care about voting he or she should not be told he has responsibility to vote. He or she is probably not competent to choose wisely anyway. Better if those "everyone must vote" campaigns ended and competent voters choose the winners in elections. Hmmmm Unlike the accepted opinion, I feel better about what the results may be when a smaller fraction of voters decided the election. It usually means the more competent citizens decided the election, not a mob of incompetents.

Well, I can't make the fools not vote...uh...except this one fool. I will spare Oregon my vote this time and vote only when I am ready to cast one responsibly.