Contrary to popular opinion and all those celebrities telling you to get out and exercise your "right" to vote, you do not have a Constitutional right to vote. Why? Let's take a look at the Constitution, shall we?
The Founding Smart Guys, and yes they were just guys, were certainly looking to the benefit of the greater good because of what they had to put up with under the rule of monarchs, especially King George III. However, you have to keep in mind that these guys were privileged white guys. This can be seen in Jefferson's statement, "all men are created equal, ... they are endowed by their
Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." OK, but who exactly were these "men"? It certainly wasn't women. At the time, married women were considered chattel or property. They had little to no rights. They couldn't own property, keep their wages, vote, even if they committed murder the courts came after the man. (You were actually better off being a single woman, kind of.) And these "men" were not minorities or even the majority of white men who were not land owners. And Jefferson and many of the members of the Constitutional Convention were certainly not talking about blacks or slaves, for many legislators were slave owners.
So in putting together the Constitution, this pseudo-monarchical mindset was present, for when the Electoral College was being formulated, it was first put together as a compromise between the popular and electoral vote. However, it was also established because many members of the Constitutional Convention believed that the general population would not make a proper or informed decision. But you have to also know that this was back in the day before parties nominated candidates, so it was a primary tool for nominating candidates. And since parties were not prominent, electors elected based on a candidate's appeal not party allegiance as is done today. Back then, electors were more independent. It's only in recent years that the Supreme Court has "highly suggested" that electors vote according to party allegiance.
So who has the Constitutional right to vote? The state. That's right, the state. NOT YOU. Let's take a look at a recent event that will demonstrate this point.
For example, the 2000 debacle . . . err, presidential election, or Hanging Chad fiasco, points out the power of the state in determining the presidential election. Now you remember all that hand counting in Florida , yes? Well, after the Florida Supreme Court ordered the hand re-count, the U.S. Supreme Court played its trump card and said that according to the Constitution the state could step in at any time (legislatures) and choose the electors even though the state had initially allowed the people to do so. But according to the U.S. Supreme court all that hand counting ended up treating voters differently (remember that?) and that doing so violated the 14 th Amendment.
You see, it's up to the state to determine if you, the popular vote, will decide or if it will be the state. So even though most states let the popular vote elect the electors (remember, you're not
directly electing the president), the legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) could usurp that power and elect the president if any state decides to do so.
Shocking? For some, I'm sure. But that's why you're reading this. And remember, if you don't learn this stuff and learn it well, you'll be asked to leave the country. OK, my rule, but I think something close to this should be endorsed so that more make better informed decisions.
And don't get me going on the relative uselessness of the presidency. Here's what political pundit George Will has to say, ""Congressional supremacy is . . . a constitutional fact: there is little the president can do if a determined congressional majority opposes it." The president is actually more like the Queen of England these days, just prettier.
Since those who join the military and become police officers pledge to uphold the Constitution and, of course, all politicians taking office do so, and we Americans elect most politicians, we too should know the Constitution. For how can one truly make informed decisions if he or she doesn't know that "the people" don't have the right to vote or that the president is politically just a pretty face. Knowledge is not power, as some say and think. Knowledge of merit and purpose applied with rigorous, logical, and informed thinking is power. Ignorance may be bliss but it's certainly not American. If you don't want to think, just go to a country run by a dictator. He'll think for you. If you don't think or if too many voters think from a misinformed perspective we're looking to have our collective asses handed to us as this country quickly goes to hell in a hand-basket.
Certainly you want to exercise your state-given right to vote, but you are only doing harm if that vote is done in ignorance. Ignorance may be bliss but it's a short bliss, certainly.
