Right around thirty and counting

With about a month out till the next presidential election you need to start asking yourself some tough questions. Not how much does a plane ticket cost, and how quick to naturalize in your new home country. You have to ask yourself are you going to vote? It's a simple question but one that was a topic of a fierce debate on world have your say.
Should people be forced to vote in our country? Is choosing not to vote really a way of sending a message and should you really vote for the lesser of two evils? If so is that a statement about a failed party system?
So will you vote? I know in my home state of Oregon not to vote means you may be the laziest individual I have ever met. For you that are unfamiliar with what I am talking about in the state of Oregon all ballots are mailed out and you have multiple weeks to fill it out and send it in. So at least in my state you really have no excuse not to vote unless you are so disenfranchised with what you see and what you have lived through all these years. Now I would recommend instead that if you so not see enough in McCain or Obama to write someone in. The reason I say this if the candidate can garner just five percent this time around, next time he or she will gain campaign funding for 2012. Now if don't believe in the system at all then I cannot help or give any advice to you.
Now comes to the age old question should you just vote for the lesser of two evils? In the words of Mr. Nader "the lesser of two evils is still not good enough for America." Now this brings up an interesting question should you fall into line for someone you agree to at least on a few things in principal over one that you do? not Now a lot of people would say, "of course you do." Though all this does is give you a taste of what a better America could be like.
Another issue plaguing this country is for the most part only the extremes of the ideological left and right are vocal and sometimes in power. Now that's great if you vote straight party lines and don't think. Or maybe in fact that crazy.
Now with all that lets tackle the first question. Should you be forced to vote? Like I said you could always vote for a third party no matter what people tell you. Every election is important no one will tell you otherwise so why not at least vote your voice? So should be forced, well I will still say no. Choice is the reason we are free and it's what we love more than anything. Now I do urge you to vote but I will never make you. Once it's no longer a choice you are no longer voicing your beliefs. So in fact we have lost what we love, democracy. So it all comes around, yes you should vote but what's point if it's at the barrel of a gun? If we are going to force people to vote what's next? Only have a two party system? Yeah limit choices and voices that'll make us great.
So remember as long as we have the choice we are free, and that's what this is all about. Now not voting can be lazy if you don't at least look into all the candidates, hell, if all else's fails run yourself. It's not like you'll do much worse anyway.