Since I already gave my own input in a digression in my own topic, I'll just paste the relevant section here:
Put simply, I don't "vote" for politicians to pass laws to make a better change; instead, I take the "if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself" route; volunteer work, random acts of kindness, and a respect for the world and all things that share it with me are a few aspects of my way. The conduct of many politicians and other "higher-ups" in American society bothers me so much that I make it part of my drive to do things my way, for the sake of making a positive impact. When you leave all the decision-making to politicians, you effectively give them nigh-absolute power. A lot of other people are upset at the abuse of power going on, but I've seen mostly negative responses, like protesting, rioting, talks of radical anarchy, violent revolutions, and so on.
Let me state this clearly: not
all politicians here are like this, and not
all American citizens react negatively to the actions of the corrupt politicians.
Old Rabbit, I certainly understand your stance - I'm aware that many people don't vote, and I myself am one of them. However, something I've noticed, in addition to "negative responses," is an unsettling level of apathy in the American population. It's true that not everyone is able to get to a voting booth, and that not everyone in America is even
registered to vote for one reason or another, but I also know that ballots are mailed during the election seasons. There's more than one way to get a vote in, so people aren't "restricted" to one method that might be inconvenient for many.
Maybe you or others here have a different perspective, but to me, it seems that many people just don't care anymore, out of bitterness, disdain, and loathing of "higher-ups" in general. Your paranoia about politicians is sound, yes...but they aren't the only ones at fault.
I like to think outside the box, and so instead of voting, I like to do lots of volunteer work - to make a positive impact, and with all levels of society in mind. From my perspective, it's a much better approach than "not giving a crap," and
certainly better than responding in a very negative manner. This being said, I can laugh at people who are audacious enough to whine at me for not voting - if I weren't taking this kind of initiative, then I'd be in no position whatsoever to talk about any of this, and I'd never be able to defend my own stance.
For America as a whole to see the positive change everyone is vying for takes the efforts of
all who live here, not just politicians.This is how I do my part, but that will be something different for everyone.