Get Out There And Vote!

[If my use of the personal “you” offends you, I apologize. However, if the shoe fits, wear it. You know who you are.]

You are speeding along a mountain road, when suddenly you realize you are about to crash into a stalled vehicle. You have no time to stop, and swerving off the road means you either crash into the embankment or plummet over the edge, into oblivion. What can you do?

The problem is, nothing you can do will fix this. It’s too late. You’re screwed.

But something can be learned from this hypothetical scenario. If you don’t drive at unsafe speeds, you will never find yourself in these circumstances. Only those who drive unsafely need to be concerned. In this case, controlling how you drive becomes a total game changer. You don’t have to worry about something that will never happen to you.

If you are one of those who believe that the Democrats and Republicans have only given us a choice between the lesser of two evils, then you are probably asking, “What kind of a choice is that?” Bottom line, the lesser of two evils is still evil. In principle, it’s like being asked how you want to be killed — by firing squad, hanging or lethal injection.

In large part American politics continues to give us that kind of “choice”: Crashing into a fixed object or flying off the edge; death by one means or another.

I suggest that if you want your life to be something more than survival in desperate circumstances you must change the game. Sadly, half of the electorate has dropped out of the election process. That’s no game changer. That just guarantees someone else will win.

Those who decide not to vote have accepted as fact that they have no control over who represents them. They really believe it when they say, “My vote doesn’t count”. But why is that? Why would you come to believe that the Constitution does not in fact lay out the framework for a government of the people, for the people and by the people?

The fact is that the two-party system we have come to accept is nothing more than tradition. The Constitution neither proscribes nor prescribes political parties. That means that nowhere is it written that elected officials must belong to any political party, nor is it written that there can only be two parties in power. The Constitution designs a government to represent a morally responsible, informed and involved electorate, but what our government has come to represent is powerful political parties and their cronies in special interest groups.  I don’t believe that was the vision of our founders.

Political parties naturally arose out of the need of elected officials to form majority alliances for the passage of laws. Once established, they became a power base from which to plan and carry out policies and agendas.

In general, a political party reflects a political philosophy common to its members. It is this philosophical unity that is important to sustaining a winning strategy. However, in recent decades it has become more often the case that political parties form coalitions by taking a more tactical approach and appealing to specific popular issues, offering pragmatic solutions that overlook philosophical principles.

When large numbers of voters choose to opt out of their civic duty to vote, and when those who do vote become increasingly dependent upon their leaders to tell them how to, then government cannot express the will of the people. It can only express the will of the party elite, who now no longer represent the political philosophy of their constituents. The party leadership, influenced by professional lobbyists and mainly driven by the need to remain in power, determine which bills and policies are promoted. This is true of both the Democrat and Republican parties. And now days they operate (together) as a ruling class — an oligarchy.

This is all done outside the constraints of the Constitution because the Constitution designed our government, while leaving our political systems up to us. But because our political system is not dictated by law, but by the “unwritten law” of tradition, we don’t have to keep doing it this way. Even though the two major political parties have ushered us into a collision scenario, we don’t have to accept that. It’s time to look for a game changer, and I have two suggestions.

First of all, vote. It’s not hard to do. When everyone votes, then those who represent us have to keep us satisfied.  Not voting just means they can ignore you — and that translates to screwing you.  Start by registering. If the idiots who elected Obama were smart enough to vote, anyone can vote. Go to https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote to find out how you can register to vote in your own State.  All States have their own regulations, as it should be.

Do you realize that usually only about half of all registered voters even bother to cast their vote? If that do-nothing half stood up on its own two feet and made its presence known, the political landscape would be changed forever.  C’mon!  You can do it!

Secondly, when you consider candidates, refuse to be a lemming.  “Just say no” to the Democrat and Republican candidates. You have repeatedly been told “they are the only choice we have” and “they are the only ones who can win”. Is it so important for you to choose between lethal injection and a firing squad?

The only reason they keep winning is that the elite keep telling you they are the only ones who can win, and you keep believing them. Why not actually vote for someone who stands for something you can actually believe in? I believe in the Constitution and that’s why I will be voting for Constitution Party candidates. They will be holding their 2016 Presidential Nominating Convention from April 13 – 16. Check them out at http://www.constitutionparty.com     

Voting for the lesser of two evils doesn’t represent anything you believe in. It only represents what you are being told by those who control you. And for the past several election cycles you’ve been letting them do just that. They continue to stay in power and America continues to lose. We could change that if everyone voted their conscience.

This is particularly important for Christians. How can we be salt of the earth unless we are out there sharing our saltiness? How can we be a light to the world when we hide our light under a bushel basket? How can we expect godliness and righteousness to be reflected in our own self-governance when we don’t even participate in the vote?

If you are a Christian and still are sitting on the fence about voting, listen to Dr. Ben Carson’s My Faith Votes message at https://www.myfaithvotes.com/#bencarson. According to him, 25 million evangelicals did not vote in the last election, while the margin of difference between the candidates was 5 million. It is my personal conviction that those 25 million Christians need to repent for their inaction. If that’s you, I pray that you turn from your shame and vote. It’s your duty. We have a form of government in which We The People are supposed to be responsible to govern ourselves. I think it’s high time God’s people shouldered their part of that responsibility.

[Update]: Franklin Graham is touring all 50 States in an effort to get out the Christian vote. It’s called Decision America Tour.  See the tour schedule at https://decisionamericatour.com/ and sign the pledge to honor our God and our country.