A good question came up on my class message board...

[Lady Freedom]

"What might you say to the person who claims to be a non-voter?"
What is DUs view on this?

[wtmusic]

1. Tell him/her

to get a life, grow up, take some responsibility.

[Mz Pip]

We get what

we deserve. If you don't vote and things suck you have no right to complain.

Democracy is a participation sport.

MzPip
:dem:

[rwheeler31]

2. What rights do you want?

Do you think who you elect can influence this?

[rednek_Liberal]

3. I'd Say ...

I also dont give a rats ass about this country, way to go chump.

[DustMolecule]

4. A non-voter is a slave....actually much more stupid than a slave

because a slave COULDN'T vote, who probably wanted to.....and a person who WOULDN'T vote and didn't is just TOOOOO stupid to comprehend in my book. eom

[theorist]

5. Show them this T. Roosevelt quote:

"Men can never escape being governed. Either they must govern themselves or they must submit to being governed by others."Jamestown, VA, April 26, 1907

If you don't vote, you are submitting to the will of those who do vote. This is a weakness of character that may lead to a fractured democracy. A "non-voter" implicitly believes that life under a fascist dictator would be no worse than life in a federal republic.

[LastKnight]

6. if you do not vote... you submit yourself to...

your own form of toltarian government, a leadership you had no say in, sure, people vote and sometimes thier canadate doesnt win, but at least you voted. those who dont vote and are able to make it to the polling places or able to get an absentee ballot and yet dont, have no right to complain about the way things are run, just my $.02.

i still believe that election day should be made a national holiday, there should be places you can call that will give you a ride to your polling place for free if you have no transportation (there may be these kinda things, but there isnt around my area, so i dono if thier out there at all) and sample ballots should be gone over on the local news channels the day before as well as sending out sample ballots in the newspapers the week before.


-LK

[aquart]

7. That citizenship is a responsibility, as well as a privilege.

[Djinn]

8. don't EVER complain about the govt

if you can't even be bothered to participate in the most basic and piss easy way in democracy - voting once every couple of years isn't that difficult.

Also - people are imprisoned and die EVERY day trying to get the right that they blow off, perhaps they'd like to give up their place in a democracy to someone who'll appreciate it more.

[JVS]

9. "Is it true that if you don't vote you can't get called for jury duty?"

I thought I heard something about them using voter registration roles to locate jurors.

[Gore1FL]

10. My argument

considering how many people died for you to be able to pull a lever, don;t you think their sacrifice is worth a 10 minute trip to the polls?

[Lady Freedom]

11. One thing the professor said was that...

Those who are uneducated on the topics should not vote. What do you guys think?

[el_gato]

12. think about it this way

Would you sit down and play a game of poker
even if you were told that the outcome is predetermined
and that you will lose?

Also, voting is not the only way to participate.