To Vote or Not to Vote ..

Over the years, I've been told it's my "civic duty" to vote, but like others, I have neglected my duty to vote and like others my reasons have ranged from not seeing any candidate I felt I could support, to blatant laziness and not wanting to put forth the effort to go to the polls. Other times I was struggling with my mental illness and had it in my head that nobody would care if I voted or not, so why bother. I think that it's safe to say that for every person that chooses not to vote, there are just as many excuses for why people don't vote.

Our founding Fathers wanted the people to have a say in what their government was doing instead of being ruled by a tyrant. Though not all people were able to vote at first, groups such as the Sufferagettes fought to gain the right to vote for women for example. I started getting interested in the Women's rights movement and in particular women's right to vote after attending a retreat that was aimed at encouraging and building leadership skills with in the mental health community. I know that to some the right to vote is a long ways away from mental health issues, but in reality it isn't. One of my favorite movies is "Iron Jawed Angels" which follows the efforts of Alice Paul and her supporters in the fight to gain the right to vote. At one point, Alice Paul and some others were arrested and Alice Paul opts to go on a hunger strike which lands her in the psychiatric portion of the prison. The psychiatrist interviews Alice and after his interview with her, he is seen talking to those who are in short opposing her efforts and are trying to stop her. The Psychiatrist says something to the effect of "In women, there is a fine line between courage and insanity" in response to being asked if Alice Paul is insane or not. He found nothing wrong with her other then she was willing to take a stand for something she believed strongly in. Because of Alice Paul's hunger strike and eventual force feeding and ultimately ill treatment in prison, her story was one of the ones that tipped the tables in favor of women gaining the right to vote. She wasn't the first person to take on this challenge, but she was one of the women who saw the victory others had sought after.

I guess that it's safe to say that the more I learn about the work of people like Alice Paul, the greater my appreciation is for my right to vote. I had been pretty numb to the idea of voting, but learning what others sacrificed so I could vote and have a say in what my government is doing, has fueled my desire to make sure I vote. I had been complacent about voting and felt it was a waste of time, but to be honest, even if my vote isn't the one that tips the scales in favor of the person I would like to see in office, I can say I made my voice heard by exercising my right to vote. I may be one small voice, but when put along side of other small voices, I become part of a powerful force to be reckoned with. I can make help to make or break a political career and help decide what issues I want to see brought to the forefront. I can help shape our country into what I hope will continue to be something to be proud of. If I don't vote I am pretty much saying I don't care what happens to our country and that I am willing to submit to whatever others who do vote think or want. In essence I give up my right to have a voice in the political process which not only hurts me but also hurts my country.

I am finding that the more I learn about the issues that are being sent to our politicians to decide on, the more I want to be involved even if it is in a small way. I once thought that there was nothing in politics that was of interest to me, but I couldn't have been more wrong. There is always something happening that could have an impact on me or people I care about and the whole process is becoming a bit of a fascination to me when it comes to learning more about what politicians do to pass laws or for that matter how those laws are simply started, in many cases they are the result of the average person telling their representatives there is a problem and then working to find a solution to the problem.

So next time you hear yourself or someone else saying that voting is a waste of time, maybe consider what was sacrificed so you could have the right to vote and ask yourself if you are comfortable with slapping the faces of those who fought to get you the right to vote.