Some notable quotes on voting

THE EDITOR: The election bell has rung in TT yet again. It will be ringing also next. Across the country, the two top political parties (PNM and UNC) are out wooing voters to redden their fingers come December 02 in the local government election.

There are many out there who have decided to not vote. People in other countries have died for the right to vote. African American men and later, women (of all colour).

Failure to vote means you are satisfied with what is taking place and everything remains the same. Bad officials are elected when good citizens don’t vote, someone once said. If you vote, you have a seat at the table. The man with money and a minimum wage earner have the same power at the ballot box. Know your power voters.

US Democat Stacey Adams once said, "democracy only works when we work for it, when we fight for it and when we demand it." In a civilized nation, the machinery of democracy should work for everyone, everywhere. Not just in certain places, and not on a certain day. The vote is the most powerful non-violent instrument of transformation we have in our democracy.

Here are a few famous quotes on the issue of voting:

Voting is not only our right; it’s our power – Loung Ung.

Not voting is not a protest; it is a surrender – Keith Ellison.

To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply servers. One who does not vote has no right to complain – Louis L’Amour.

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors – Plato.

You’ve got to vote, vote, vote, vote. That’s it; that’s the way the way we move forward. That’s how we make progress for ourselves and for our country – Michelle Obama.

We don’t have government of the majority. We have government by the majority who participate – Thomas Jefferson.

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don’t vote – George Jean Nathan.

If you are bored and disgusted by politics and don’t bother to vote, you are in effect voting for the entrenched Establishment of the two major parties, who rest assured are not dumb, and who are keenly aware that it is in their interest to keep you disgusted and bored and cynical and to give you every possible reason to stay at home watching TV all day. BY all means stay home if you want, but don’t fool yourself that you are not voting. In reality, there is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home – David Foster Wallace. And finally;

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason – Mark Twain.

ROSSANA GLASGOW

Via e-mail

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"Some notable quotes on voting"

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