Confession time... I was given the right to vote from 7 years before. However... for the 1st 6 years I didn't use it... I thought it was a waste of time... that none of the political parties in my country would care to make any difference to the lives of ordinary folk... and that it would change nothing...
But from last year, my attitude to voting completely changed after reading a book called "The Meaning of Things" by A C Grayling... a philosopher. In his brief but rather knowledgeable essay, he pointed out the fact that many people had thought (some at the cost of their lives) for their right to vote in several countries... not least the US and The UK to name but a few.
After reading that essay, I realised that if people hadn't fought for their right to vote in the past, I for one may not have the luxury of being able to waste my own. So now with a more positive approach, whenever I have doubts about the worth of voting, I remind myself of the fact that I'm living in a democratic country where people of any gender and any orientation can vote freely... and then I think actually, we have made significant progress in the grand scheme of things.
I do accept that there are still many inequalities in the world that have yet to be answered - but I think it's also worth remembering that the biggest and most positive changes in the world intially began with the right to vote... (not to mention that without the right to vote... I most likely would not even have the privelage of being a UK citizen... much less the privelage to write this thread...) so in this respect voting is fundamental to change.
In the light of recent times I can understand why many would be inclined not to vote... and for which I'm sure they have considerable reasons. But I believe that if there's one reason for us to vote... it should be because we may very well lose our right to vote in the future through not voting.
Thus this is thread is highly aimed at encouraging debate on the right to vote; so if you wish to elaborate on the following question, please feel free to do so:
Do you use your right to vote... and if yes or no, why?
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