How did it come to pass that so many residents in Palm Beach County have allowed their right to vote to wither on the vine; their freedom to elect our representatives to die? Many of the non-voters have become the “summer soldiers and sunshine patriots” that Thomas Paine wrote about in The Crisis.
We are Americans, and our forefathers sacrificed their fortunes and their lives to ensure our right to a representative government, and it is a disgrace that so many of our residents, who consider themselves American, shirk their responsibility and are teaching their children to avoid their responsibilities in citizenship.
Only by exercising this basic freedom, the right to vote, have we the opportunity, an opportunity denied to many around the world, to lay claim to the continuation of our liberty. The best way to lose a representative government is by “doing nothing” and allowing special interests to discourage fellow Americans who want to engage in public service from entering as a candidate for public office.
When you consider that our kids have gone off to faraway places overseas to protect our country and our freedoms, and that the right to vote is essential in putting the best people as our representatives in office, indifference should not be our legacy, and we break faith with those risking their lives to ensure that right.
12 percent is the current level of voter participation in Palm Beach County, which means that with continued low voter turnout, it will only take a small number of votes to win, making it very tempting for special interests to make candidates beholden to them and less likely to represent the residents of Palm Beach County.
Remember, those who do not vote are in no better position than those who cannot vote, and people deserve the government they don’t vote for as well as the government they do vote for — your choice! You don’t have the right to complain if you don’t participate.
Richard Nielsen, Royal Palm Beach
