I strongly disagree with the final two paragraphs. People must have the right NOT to vote, or voting isn't a "right" at all. Spoiling one's ballot paper or not voting at all is perfectly valid; it might not always be a good idea, but it's not wrong, and people ought not to be told not to do it. If they want to "waste" their vote, that's up to them.
"Someone died so you could vote" is not a million miles from "there are children starving in Africa, so eat your spinach" in logical terms. That didn't work when I was 6, so I don't see why I should respect that version now. History is full of people dying and killing for all sorts of reasons; the fact that they've done so in no way obliges us to take them seriously.
Yes, I'd probably prefer people to vote than not to vote, but I fully respect why people might not wish to do that, and for perfectly good reasons.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2010-05-06 01:15 am (UTC)"Someone died so you could vote" is not a million miles from "there are children starving in Africa, so eat your spinach" in logical terms. That didn't work when I was 6, so I don't see why I should respect that version now. History is full of people dying and killing for all sorts of reasons; the fact that they've done so in no way obliges us to take them seriously.
Yes, I'd probably prefer people to vote than not to vote, but I fully respect why people might not wish to do that, and for perfectly good reasons.