when a statement is not really a statement at all

i've heard so many people say that they are refusing to vote in this election because they don't like either Obama or McCain, and they feel that it is their right to make a statement by not voting at all.

here is where i see this mindset as misguided:

by not going to vote, one is no better than the masses of people who don't vote because they don't take the time to care. not voting is not voting, no matter what your reasons, and by not showing up, there is no way to determine which camp you fall into. i can completely understand looking at the Presidential candidates and thinking "ugh, neither one of these guys represents what i want for my country." but that still doesn't mean you shouldn't go out & vote!

where i live, the ballots are paper and you fill in the bubble by your selection with a pencil, standardized test-style. (hey! all those dumb tests *do* actually have a real-world purpose after all! ha!) anyway, if i didn't like either Obama or McCain for President, when i am handed my ballot, i see there is a long list of other candidates i could have made a point to explore & cast my vote for--some call this a "wasted vote" but that would certainly make a statement--and you're still voting. or! what about this? fine, *don't* vote for the President. that is not the only item on your ballot! there are so many other items to vote on today! state and local elections. amendments on both the state and local level. i just can't believe that a person can find every single candidate for every position on their ballot someone they cannot, in good conscience, vote for. or that they do not have a feeling, for or against, all of the proposed Amendments.

by thinking you make a statement by not showing up to vote for the President, you are robbing yourself of the right to be heard on the other issues. you can still fill in your ballot for all these other items and by leaving the Presidential slot open, *that* makes the statement you say you want to make: i want to vote and i *will* vote but there are no options in this category that suit me. by not going at all, you're not saying what you think you're saying.

i'm not telling you who i voted for. i'm not telling you who *you* should vote for. that's between each of us and our ballots, to make an informed decision based on what *we* believe is the right direction for our country.

what i *am* telling you is to take advantage of our democratic system and go out & vote, at the very least on the items you can weigh in on, in good conscience. even if the President isn't one of them.