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On voting, single-issue voting, and abstaining from voting
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This is mainly to have this written down to refer back to later but comments and discussion are welcomed.

I have, for years, declined to participate in elections and while the goal of this isn't to persuade anyone else to abstain or to denigrate anyone who chooses to vote, I want to walk through the reasons that many refuse to participate.

This is closely tied with criticism I see regularly around here of being a single issue voter - namely that someone shouldn't consider firearms and firearm rights the only issue when voting for a candidate.

The fundamental disconnect in this respect is where one places firearms in terms of value. Many of us feel (with good reason) that we are in a period of time where we cannot fundamentally trust our physical safety to the systems we theoretically could have in years past.

On top of that, there is a resurgence of a very proactive desire for violence on the part of reactionary right-wing people. This has culminated in numerous acts of terrorist violence against innocent people and uncountable acts of interpersonal violence, much of which goes unacknowledged by law enforcement.

We also observe the state being varying flavors of unwilling or unable to meaningfully counter these forces. The number of police willing to unleash horrifying levels of violence against peaceful people whose greatest infraction was staying out past their bed time plus the regularity with which these same forces are able to kill someone and receive no meaningful response are glaring signals that the police are not to be trusted with our safety.

Furthermore, we've witnessed a continual inability on the part of the state to take meaningful action that isn't punitive and feeding into the cycle of punishment and radicalization that stirs the right-wing reactionaries to act.

With this all in mind, it seems apparent to us that we must be responsible for ensuring our own safety. To that end, it is critical that we have access to the tools to do this and it includes, among other things, access to firearms.

Any elected leader that is telling us that we should have our ability to arm ourselves is unnecessary is telling us that we shouldn't worry about needing to protect ourselves.

This is unacceptable and in an instance where I feel moved to participate in electoral politics, I cannot in good conscience put my support behind someone who would tell those of us who have concrete reason to worry that our concerns are irrelevant.

Our concerns are our own lives and the lives of our communities. If we are to vote, I see no reason why we shouldn't be single issue voters when that single issue is our own lives and safety.

If you do not share this feeling that your safety is at risk to the point where you should be armed, I say count your blessings but in so doing don't ignore those of us who don't have as much faith in the systems around us.

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3 years ago