This is in response to Gartel’s article titled, “You should vote (and if you don’t you should be forced to).” This article has blatant disregard for the values of democracy. As citizens of this great country, we have the right and freedom of choice to choose weather or not we want to vote in an election. Now I would appreciate it if everyone came out and voted, but this country shouldn’t force people to vote just to inflate voter numbers. It is everyone’s right whether or not we want to vote, so why should we waste our time to go down to the voting station just to say that we are not going to vote for any of the candidates when we could just not go at all?

Also, she states that we should be required to learn about issues, but that is again imposing on our freedoms. It is my choice whether I want to learn about the issues as well as my choice if I want to even care about the issues. I shouldn’t be forced to vote because as Thomas Jefferson said we are given three unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is my right of liberty that gives me my freedom of choice, and it’s my freedom of choice, to vote or not, that every American should exercise in this upcoming election.

Joe Mowery

Junior in LAS