Do any veterans feel personally slighted when people don't vote?

[gorcorps]

My uncle just sent this:

Ok.........so today I have seen and heard from entirely too many individuals who say they are NOT going to vote! I really don't care what their reasons are.....as a veteran I signed a blank check (with my life if need be) for them to have the continued right to vote (and a whole bunch of other freedoms). Words just can not express how upset, disappointed, hurt, etc. (the list goes on) I think I'll just say "You're Welcome"...........

Do any other veterans feel the same way? Why? I guess in my mind I separate national security from our right to vote so never thought about it. IMO the freedom he fought for includes the freedom to choose what level of involvement I want in my government. I'm brushing it off as just another old grumpy bastard whining about voting, but I'm curious if this is a common thought.

 

[Doppel]

Voting--or not voting--is a choice a person has as a citizen of this country. That is what a veteran fights for. They don't fight so that you feel like you have to vote.

It is a common thought, though.

 

[Dice144]

As a Veteran I agree.

People don't realize how many people in other countries wish they had the right to vote...

 

[Newbian]

Remember it's a right to vote so they saying they have to is just as bad as saying they cannot.

 

[nextJin]

I'm serving and could give a shit less, they have the freedom to vote or not vote.

I actually wish more people who are uneducated or ignorant of the issues didn't vote. In other words Republicans.

 

[momeNt]

Military hasn't fought since the civil war for any American's right to vote. Most wars are fought so citizens in foreign nations can vote democratically.

I mean no disrespect to the military, but he should be more pissed if an Afghani or Iraqi doesn't vote, what happens over there has nothing to do with democracy on our soil. In fact, all it has done has made LESS people able to vote by virtue of the sad loss of American lives.

 

[Juror No. 8]

Only morons, simpletons, and hayseeds get offended by people who are smart enough to have figured out that it's a complete waste of time to vote for a bunch of corporate puppets.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

Not a lot of people exercise their 2nd amendment right also.

Good thing the people who do, vote.

 

[blankslate]

Not a lot of people exercise their 2nd amendment right also. Good thing the people who do, vote.

I expect every gun owner to join a militia and by militia I mean the National Guard which to me is the closest equivalent to the one mention in the 2nd Amendment.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

emphasis mine... obviously the founding fathers intents people who bear arms to be a member of a state sanctioned militia (not one of the yahoo ones like the Hutaree militia which ploted to murder law enforcement members)... so if you own a gun are you in the Reserves or the National Guard? Or are you a pussy who needs a gun to feel like a man?

 

[Juror No. 8]

obviously the founding fathers intents people who bear arms to be a member of a state sanctioned militia (not one of the yahoo ones like the Hutaree militia which ploted to murder law enforcement members)... so if you own a gun are you in the Reserves or the National Guard? Or are you a pussy who needs a gun to feel like a man?

LOL. The Founders wanted the people to keep and bear arms as a last line of defense against the State, so no, I highly doubt that they intended for every person who bears arms to only join militias sanctioned by the State. Obviously, a tyrannical State would only sanction militias that would serve its purpose - tyranny - and that's clearly not what the Founders intended.

Try again, sweetie.

 

[PingviN]

With your electoral system, I understand why voter turnout is so low. If you live in a state where 90% sides with the dems or repubs, why would you bother voting for the other party? Your vote doesn't count.

 

[Geosurface]

As a veteran I am not offended when people don't use their vote. It's their right to not vote, and in this day and age, the options all suck so I don't blame them.

I'd be in favor of restricting the right to vote more than it is now, for most of my life I was a firm believer in socialism and maximum enforced charity via redistribution, but I'm starting to see and believe that this model is completely unsustainable, and the softness that infected this country in the 20th century will be our undoing. The undoing of all of western civilization.

Too soft, too sympathetic, too understanding. Amounts to weakness and encourages criminality, terrorism, moral decay, and leeching off the system.

It'll limp along for a time, but in the end the system will fall because of it. If we could sustain it and be that generous/nice, I'd be all for it still. It'd be great. That's not how reality works at this time though.

I think a lot of people are entirely convinced that the world can work in a fairy tale way that only temporarily appears viable due to the momentum created back before we started thinking like that, and the remainder of the systems and behaviors established during that time. On a million fronts we are eroding the cultural bedrock that enabled the prosperity we're now burning through, and when it runs dry it won't be pretty.

 

[Nebor]

I'm in the military, and currently deployed to Afghanistan. As I said in another voting thread, only 8 out of about 40 people here voted. We almost all have our permanent residencies in red states due to the lack of a state income tax, so there's really no point in voting.

I'm done voting in my lifetime. I just don't believe in the system. It's a waste of my time and I refuse to delude myself into believing that my vote matters.

 

[gorcorps]

With your electoral system, I understand why voter turnout is so low. If you live in a state where 90% sides with the dems or repubs, why would you bother voting for the other party? Your vote doesn't count.

Which is true on an individual sense, but when large groups have the common thought that their vote doesn't matter then that CAN affect the swing in your state. But yes... the electoral system is quite poor and doesn't help people drum up desire to vote. Getting 100% of a state when you have 49% of the votes is stupid.

 

[Northern Lawn]

Voting--or not voting--is a choice a person has as a citizen of this country. That is what a veteran fights for. They don't fight so that you feel like you have to vote.

It is a common thought, though.

Bullshit. In Australia they HAVE to vote, like You HAVE to fill out the census forms. Voting is a lot more important than Census so I'm thinking the reason we don't HAVE to vote is for suppression reasons.

In Australia, you don't have to pander to minorities.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

No, that's their choice even though I always exercise my right to vote in every election (local, state, and federal).

 

[shortylickens]

I do, but only a little. Its more my knowledge of history than actual experience in the service.
For the record, very few vets alive today actually fought for Americas freedom. Korea and Vietnam dont count. Those were wars to oppress other people, not help Americans. Same with Kosovo.

I do get mad cuz I've seen people around the world fighting for their freedom and they know damn well how good we have it here. I am disgusted by Americans so fucking ignorant of the past & present they dont actually appreciate the really good shit they have today. A cell phone does NOT improve the quality of your life. The right to vote does. The right to question your government does. The right protest sure as hell does.
HD television does not.

I dont like Obama cuz most of the good he's done involves little piddly things which arent important. The guy is still running illegal wars (while still criticizing the previous man for starting them), didnt offer a real solution to the healthcare problem, just piled more money on it. Spends more time looking cool than taking care of business, and takes credit for others work (Hillary/Osama).
I do not like him cuz he personifies modern America so well: Appearance is way more important than practicality and people are so dumb they honestly dont know the difference.

 

[blankslate]

LOL. The Founders wanted the people to keep and bear arms as a last line of defense against the State, so no, I highly doubt that they intended for every person who bears arms to only join militias sanctioned by the State. Obviously, a tyrannical State would only sanction militias that would serve its purpose - tyranny - and that's clearly not what the Founders intended.

Try again, sweetie.

I see one of the "I needs a gunz to be a man" wussyboy popped his head in here.

Hey they to wrap your head around this concept. At least one prominent Founding Father didn't want a standing army... so a militia would be needed to provide initial defense for the State in the event of an attack.

You must love living in abject ignorance.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Nope! Freedom means choice.

 

[CVSiN]

Voting--or not voting--is a choice a person has as a citizen of this country. That is what a veteran fights for. They don't fight so that you feel like you have to vote.

It is a common thought, though.

This..
I served so you could have the choice..

 

[unokitty]

My uncle just sent this:



Do any other veterans feel the same way? Why? I guess in my mind I separate national security from our right to vote so never thought about it. IMO the freedom he fought for includes the freedom to choose what level of involvement I want in my government. I'm brushing it off as just another old grumpy bastard whining about voting, but I'm curious if this is a common thought.

Uncle has earned a right to his opinion. And I respect that...

On the other hand, I don't give a damn whether someone else exercises their right to vote or not...

Uno
Sentry Dog Handler
US Army 69-71

 

[Juror No. 8]

Hey they to wrap your head around this concept.

LOL, what? What are you babbling about now?

At least one prominent Founding Father didn't want a standing army... so a militia would be needed to provide initial defense for the State in the event of an attack.

You must love living in abject ignorance.

Irrelevant. If the Founding Dads didn't want the people to keep and bear arms, then they wouldn't have even mentioned "the people" within the text of the Second Amendment. They simply would have only discussed the necessary existence of a militia. But they didn't, so your point is moot.

But humor me for a moment. If you are so against people having guns, why do you worship a government with so many millions of guns?