Voting is something you must do! It is not a choice. It is a responsibility.
With the development of popular government comes the duty of citizens to participate in their own government for the sake of the common good. Not to do so is to abandon the political process to those who do not have the common good in mind.
If you do not vote this inevitably leads to unjust laws and an unjust society. These may come about anyway, but they should not come about through the negligence of its people to voice out loud their thoughts.
The citizens in any state have the duty of supporting their government by obeying laws, paying taxes, and contributing to the common good, but citizens in a republican state have the additional duty of participating in the government itself, that is, by assuming public office or at least by using the electoral franchise. Sad to say, however, many citizens, have been remiss in their obligation of voting.
Even people otherwise good, fail to exercise their right when duty demands it. They are negligent and careless when they should be interested and active. It is your right and duty to draw the attention of the faithful to the extraordinary importance of the coming elections and to the moral responsibility which follows from it for those who have the right to vote. The person who abstains, particularly through indolence or cowardice, commits a grave sin, a mortal offense and a social injustice.
The specter of apathy and undesirable disinterestedness is rising more and more upon the country’s horizon. Many American citizens are not interested in their role as citizens; they clamour for their rights, but forget their duties; they insist upon what is owed them, but forget what they owe others.
The fundamental basis of the moral obligation of voting is two-fold: (1) The state is a necessary society demanded by man’s nature and his needs; (2) Every citizen is bound to promote the common good. In a republican form of government where the citizens select their rulers, judges, and other administrative and legislative officials, it is of the utmost importance that the citizens take and active and intelligent interest in those whom they select. Since the state is necessary, it follows that man has the duty to be the member of some state. He also has the obligation to contribute to the support and welfare of the state in achieving its end – the temporal common good. He fulfills this obligation by loving his country, by supporting and obeying just laws, by paying taxes, by bearing arms when necessary and by fulfilling other civic duties of citizens. One of these other duties in a republican form of government is the obligation of voting in order to promote the common good.
Need to locate your polling site to vote? Go here: http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm
Do the right thing. Go out and vote!
Make sure that you Read all of our Election Coverage on NewsOne.
Voting Is The Moral, Just & Socially Conscious Thing To Do! was originally published on elev8.com
