Is Voting a Right or a Privilege?
Application essay by Oscar Molina
Responsibility is the state of being accountable for something that you have taken deliberately under your jurisdiction. Choice is the ability or power of selecting an option from a group concerning a connected matter. These two concepts are crucial when they are put under the requirements of voting. Voting is the process of choosing an idea that best suits your desires. I believe that voting is a responsibility held by all members of a group. One’s vote is critical in an election whether it be for the upcoming United States’ presidential elections or a simple family discussion. That vote assures one’s representation in that specific election.
Representation could be the most important aspect of a vote. Without voting, opinions cannot be represented. These unrepresented ideas will go unnoticed because if their holder does not present them, no one will. Government is a perfect example of voting’s importance. In 2008, 60% of American voters participated in the presidential elections. Evidently that election led to an outrage by many Americans, but they most of the outraged had no right to be since they stepped aside and let others decide their leader. Without votes, governments move that much closer to the characteristics of monarchies as seen throughout history in fallen rulers.
Although importance is obvious to few, there still exist factors that prevent these votes from being placed. To vote, a certain amount of knowledge about the topic is required. There are many reasons why not to vote but truly, these reasons are just excuses to put aside the seek of knowledge in order to participate. It is one’s accountability to seek this knowledge in order to represent their opinion because these could possibly contribute to the greater good. The theory of the greater good can be a conveyed in a concept such as a better bureaucracy for people. This improved authority cannot be attained if members of this community are excluded from the election.
Voting is a right that has long been fought for. When government was still primitive and voting was not accessible, people’s ideas and opinions were not expressed. Because this right was attained, it should not be taken lightly but must be exercised strongly. This virtue has become more of a responsibility than a choice for every member of a community. If you relinquish your vote, you are also giving up the right to change your live and the right to change a verdict.
Representation could be the most important aspect of a vote. Without voting, opinions cannot be represented. These unrepresented ideas will go unnoticed because if their holder does not present them, no one will. Government is a perfect example of voting’s importance. In 2008, 60% of American voters participated in the presidential elections. Evidently that election led to an outrage by many Americans, but they most of the outraged had no right to be since they stepped aside and let others decide their leader. Without votes, governments move that much closer to the characteristics of monarchies as seen throughout history in fallen rulers.
Although importance is obvious to few, there still exist factors that prevent these votes from being placed. To vote, a certain amount of knowledge about the topic is required. There are many reasons why not to vote but truly, these reasons are just excuses to put aside the seek of knowledge in order to participate. It is one’s accountability to seek this knowledge in order to represent their opinion because these could possibly contribute to the greater good. The theory of the greater good can be a conveyed in a concept such as a better bureaucracy for people. This improved authority cannot be attained if members of this community are excluded from the election.
Voting is a right that has long been fought for. When government was still primitive and voting was not accessible, people’s ideas and opinions were not expressed. Because this right was attained, it should not be taken lightly but must be exercised strongly. This virtue has become more of a responsibility than a choice for every member of a community. If you relinquish your vote, you are also giving up the right to change your live and the right to change a verdict.