My Call for Non-Voting at iReport.com

CNN recently created a website, iReport.com, where users can submit their own stories and media, and sometimes CNN puts those stories on its main newsite or TV channel. It's kinda fun, and I've been lurking on it as of late.

Today, CNN asked iReport users who are "undecided" about the election to sate why they are undecided. I decided to take the opportunity to submit a small essay about why I have decided to not vote at all. You can find my entry here. The text of my entry is reproduced below.

In a way you could consider me undecided in the sense that I decided not to vote for anyone. I will not go to the polls, and I will not vote, and I encourage others to do the same.

Why?

Because I realized that, regardless of the quality (or lack thereof) of the candidates, it is immoral to force your choice onto another. Democracy is a tyranny of the majority. If 51% of the country wants candidate A, should the other 49% be forced to accept it? Why cant the other 49% have what they want to?

The government recognizes that monopolies are bad, except of course when it comes to itself. But monopolies are bad, regardless of what form they are in. And presidents that are forced upon 100% of the people through a simple majority vote are also monopolies, and are also bad.

How arrogant and brutal is it for me to vote and believe that I have the right to force my choices onto you? Is it civil or is it oppressive for me to try to force a choice of leader onto you, your family, everyone? I would feel bad if I were to use such aggression on another, and I certainly feel bad when others do it to me.

And finally, although my argument holds true regardless of the quality of the candidates, I feel that the choices this time around are absolutely abysmal. It reminds me of the South Park episode where they have to choose between voting for a feminine hygiene product or a piece of excrement. I am pulling a Brewster and choosing "none of the above." Actually, I'm choosing "none." Period.

So don't vote! The lower turnout, the better! Don't try to force your values onto other people, and don't let others force their values onto you! That's freedom.