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Do we have an obligation to one another as a nation and as communities to base our voting decisions on what is best for all? Do we have obligations to consider questions of justice when voting for people who can affect the rights of minorities? Are these questions only a liberal would ask or should everyone ask them?

2007-07-30 02:56:33 · 8 answers · asked by Sowcratees 6 in Politics & Government Government

8 answers

Using the United States as the subject…

I do think that in our CONSITUTIONAL REPUBLIC, it is every citizens duty to be well informed before making any vote, for any issue or candidate. Too often people on both ends of the political spectrum vote with their hearts and not their heads. I have been guilty of this in the past. Passion takes center stage when an issue is important to someone. Voting with passion can be the same as voting with ignorance. I believe we need to protect minority rights, but not place their needs ahead of the rest of our citizens.

With our nation's diversity, it is an impossibility to vote for what is "best for all". I work extremely hard to support my family, and I have been able to give us a middle class living. A vote for a benefit of the lower or upper class, would do little for the middle class. The best we can do, (and the U.S. does it better than any country) is find the middle ground for each issue.

To answer your last question… these are questions that should NOT be left or right. Everyone should consider asking this very same question.

2007-07-30 03:15:12 · answer #1 · answered by Eric R 6 · 3 1

Well, first a minor correction. The United States is a Republic, which is indirect rule through elected representatives, rather than a true democracy, which is direct rule by the vote of all the people. In fact, the founding fathers FEARED democracy.

"There is no more unstable system of government in the world than Democracy. It soon wastes, exhausts, burns itself out...." -John Adams

Just thought I'd point that out. :)

Anyway... Getting down to your question itself. We all owe it to ourselves and to one another to make the best, most-informed decisions possible for the country as a whole. The reason so many morons are still in power today (I won't name names here) is because people will vote based on parties, or based on names, or the color of skin, or the sex... NONE of these things has an impact on how these people run this country.

We all have different ideas of what to do to make this country run, and we can all express them. That's part of what makes America the great nation that it is. But our ideas are useless if they're not grounded in fact. We need to know what is happening in the country, in the government, and in the world, if we want to make the best possible decision. We do need to ask ourselves and each other whether the candidates we elect for positions of power will best hold up the rule of law, will best ensure that everyone, minority and majority alike, is treated with the same fairness, the same justice, the same equality. Not enough people do these things... This country is on a downward spiral, and as much as we like to blame the government itself (myself included), to do so is to be dishonest. Because this IS a Republic (or, FYI, a Constitutional-Democracy), and that means that this is a government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people. It means that WE THE PEOPLE are ultimately responsible for the decisions of those whom we put into office. WE THE PEOPLE need to stop placing blame and step up to the plate ourselves.

2007-07-30 03:06:44 · answer #2 · answered by Firestorm 6 · 2 1

Interesting question, I guess there is actually a double-bind in Democratic societies:

1. Yes, people have to fully and consciously reflect on their needs and desires and vote for the candidate who proposes the best policy for that.
2. However, a democratic society would have to protect the right for a person to make an uninformed vote. It would have to not exclude anyone for being uninformed, because that was the free choice they made.

The result is I would say a democratic ethos that would require the obligation to be informed, but a similar ethos that would require this obligation not to be enforced.

2007-07-30 03:07:07 · answer #3 · answered by C.S. 5 · 0 0

I agree with firestorm, it should even be law that any one who voted should haft to give his/her reason for voting for such a person as that would keep the idiots from putting in the same pile of manure that we have elected every elect on for several years, why the hell should someone or so many be allowed to vote when the don't have any idea of what they are voting for just the $5 they were paid for the vote,some times freedom is not good as it will enslave people as it has in America,

2007-07-30 03:19:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

In our representative democracy most of the elected official are elitists. Many are rich white guys thinking that they understand the diverse middle class, but they don't really. What they really know and care about is their own power, fame or wealth and will do or say anything to be reelected to office so they can continue to ride that lucrative gravy train all the way retirement. What we the people think is only considered by them if we contributed to their campaigns.

2007-07-30 03:22:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Ideally yes, but some people choose opinions over facts regardless, and they vote and do more damage, such as in 2000 and 2004, then still refuse to consider all people.

2007-07-30 03:29:57 · answer #6 · answered by topink 6 · 1 0

Your question demonstrates a lot of thinking problems. When you find self understanding reformulate the question to achieve meaningful insight for every individual.

2007-07-30 08:20:54 · answer #7 · answered by Wizard 2 · 0 3

The Blind leading the Blind.....

2007-07-30 04:28:03 · answer #8 · answered by train120 3 · 0 0

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