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Today I gave anyone in my company that wanted to vote the ability to miss PT as long as they gave me the "I voted" sticker they hand out once a ballot is cast. Not a single Soldier took me up on this offer. Approximately 80% of my company are residents of Tennessee so being away from their polling station does not apply. When talking to the ones that aren't residents of Tennessee all of them told me they didn't mail in a ballot for one reason or another. Why do you think Soldiers, Warrant Officers, and Commissioned Officers chose not to vote? This is a right they are willing to lay down their lives for through their military service however they chose not to.
Voting
Politics
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 70
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Voting was a big thing when I was in. However, after several major elections where it was reported that the military vote was thrown out, under counted and otherwise tossed out, I'm not overly surprised. Voting is also a hit or miss activity by age and other statistics. The break down in this pdf. shows, in a nut shell, that lower income people, those with short residencies, the young and minorities have low turn out. Sad but its so. Those are exactly the people that need to be voting.
http://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2013/09/america-goes-to-the-polls-2012-voter-participation-gaps-in-the-2012-presidential-election.pdf
http://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2013/09/america-goes-to-the-polls-2012-voter-participation-gaps-in-the-2012-presidential-election.pdf
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When i was in Iraq i voted absentee, its a right for us to vote. I know a lot of the Marines that I worked with didn't vote, because it seems like what we have to say doesn't matter.
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SGM (Join to see)
CPL Hueter, I think that's the general opinion of most that chose not to vote. They feel that they're vote doesn't matter. A lot of citizens fail to understand the power their vote has when electing members of the house and senate. That's where the real power for legislation lies in our goverment. I think it should be viewed as a duty to vote instead of a right or a burden. Our voices are full of complaints yet we fail to let our ballots speak for us at the polls on election day.
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MAJ (Join to see)
My county told me that my absentee ballot was received, but wouldn't be counted because they lacked the personnel to physically count them all.
I was confused about this for years. Someone finally explained that most absentee ballots aren't counted unless an office on the ballot is very close. Only then will they take the time to crack open the absentee ballots and tally them up. It's just too labor intensive, as opposed to pushing a button on a laptop.
I was confused about this for years. Someone finally explained that most absentee ballots aren't counted unless an office on the ballot is very close. Only then will they take the time to crack open the absentee ballots and tally them up. It's just too labor intensive, as opposed to pushing a button on a laptop.
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For some, when you see the recent attacks by all parties on the backs of military and veterans.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/11/01/senator-questions-system-allowing-triple-dipping-veterans.html?ESRC=navy-a.nl
http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2014/11/dear-school-principal-veterans-day.html
and this was just today's news from military.com
It is disgusting by the lack of backing for troops and all they have accomplished and done to protect the 90% of pop. who have no idea what it is we have sacrificed.
I for one don't care if i am recognized for my service, but when they start attacking our pensions, compensations(not benefits) and deciding where you can fly the Flag. That is where many get sick and tired of the lack of support by the elected officials.
I am good enough to go fight for you anywhere at any time, but when i am done and i have returned in a damaged manner i can be given a pat on the shoulder and shown the door.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/11/01/senator-questions-system-allowing-triple-dipping-veterans.html?ESRC=navy-a.nl
http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2014/11/dear-school-principal-veterans-day.html
and this was just today's news from military.com
It is disgusting by the lack of backing for troops and all they have accomplished and done to protect the 90% of pop. who have no idea what it is we have sacrificed.
I for one don't care if i am recognized for my service, but when they start attacking our pensions, compensations(not benefits) and deciding where you can fly the Flag. That is where many get sick and tired of the lack of support by the elected officials.
I am good enough to go fight for you anywhere at any time, but when i am done and i have returned in a damaged manner i can be given a pat on the shoulder and shown the door.
Senator Questions System Allowing 'Triple Dipping' Veterans
Nearly 60,000 veterans were triple dippers last year, drawing a total of $3.5 billion in military retirement pay plus veterans and Social Security disability benefits at the same time, congressional auditors report.
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Maj James Tippins
Be careful, military.com has a lot of misinformation on it. I only focus on the technical articles. They are very political in some left areas.
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My experience was that most active duty military didn't feel that any of the candidates represented their interests. I can easily articulate how one party tends to represent and endorse pro-military/veteran viewpoints than the other...but ultimately many of them are right. We don't have a strong veteran party in this country. I'd be up for being a part of fixing that. But then....I'm the crazy guy that thinks we need to overturn some of the voting amendments and reform our voting system. Civil/Military service or own property....or you don't vote on national elections. It forces those who are voting for "free stuff" to have some skin in the game.
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Maj James Tippins
SPC David C. - And you have just provided support for the electoral college, as originally devised by the Founders. They knew this problem existed. They understood the Republic needed smart people to pick a federal representative. They understood that the democratic process of electing those smart people by the average citizen would provide the best outcome.
What they didn't know is that there would be professional politicians in the future.
What they didn't know is that there would be professional politicians in the future.
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Some of the answers here present the problem with the issue, not the answer to the question, but the problem.
People don't understand how and why their votes does matter, and they don't understand what they can do if they don't like the choices. This comes from a lack of education. When I was a kid, I had civics class and Schoolhouse Rock that showed me the importance of citizenship, and how to be a part of the process.
We need that education back. It doesn't exist today, and it should.
Military should vote, they should be proud to do so. Public service is important, whether it is military or civilian government.
People don't understand how and why their votes does matter, and they don't understand what they can do if they don't like the choices. This comes from a lack of education. When I was a kid, I had civics class and Schoolhouse Rock that showed me the importance of citizenship, and how to be a part of the process.
We need that education back. It doesn't exist today, and it should.
Military should vote, they should be proud to do so. Public service is important, whether it is military or civilian government.
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Maj James Tippins
I agree with you.
I wrote a book entitled Citizenship 1928 describing how democracy killed a War Department citizenship training manual in 1932.
I included a copy of the original manual in my book.
It is refreshing reading from before the 20th century political machines starting eroding citizenship training.
I am working on another book to bring the 18th and 19th century American History into the present.
And I also think Schoolhouse Rock was pretty neat.
I wrote a book entitled Citizenship 1928 describing how democracy killed a War Department citizenship training manual in 1932.
I included a copy of the original manual in my book.
It is refreshing reading from before the 20th century political machines starting eroding citizenship training.
I am working on another book to bring the 18th and 19th century American History into the present.
And I also think Schoolhouse Rock was pretty neat.
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When you don't vote, the one you don't support gets it. Make your voice be heard, take the time and vote for all that is riight.
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I vote, because I believe that is my civic responsibility. That said, I'm a firm believer in what Mark Twain reportedly said, “If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it.” Now I have no idea if he actually said that or not, but so many questionable things go on around the election season, EVERY election season, that it's hard to believe decisions aren't being made elsewhere that negate anything I'm doing on my end. I just don't trust the government.
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I’m still junior enlisted. So my first presidential election I could vote in was 2020. And the time period I started getting old enough to be concerned with politics was about the same time politics started running to Twitter to shove themselves down everyone’s throat. So from my point of view, all politics have been for me, primarily US politics, but other countries included, had been two people bickering back and forth at each other about nonsense and throwing insults during nation changing debates like it’s a kindergarten schoolhouse argument. By the time voting time comes around, I’m so tired of hearing anything about politics that I can’t be bothered to even procrastinate and go last minute to vote. If I got reprimanded for not voting, I’d gladly take the reprimand.
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Maj James Tippins
That's sad. My advice is to ignore the media and spend time reading the Congressional Record. Learn about the evil and the good in Congress.
Then vote based on that angle.
If you do this, you will be centuries ahead of your peers.
Then vote based on that angle.
If you do this, you will be centuries ahead of your peers.
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CPL(P) (Join to see)
Maj James Tippins I usually do ignore the media. It’s disappointing to me that everything is so black and white, so yes or no, so binary, that people on both sides are so unwilling to listen and have genuine constructive conversations that they’ll completely infringe on each others rights to free speech ironically in pursuit of the right to free speech.
It’s so exhausting to hunt down unbiased or genuine news or political discourse, that, after the first few years I was old enough to care about it, I simply, for the sake of my sanity, and to avoid developing friendships or enemies based on my beliefs, I’ve adopted the mantra of “so long as it doesn’t directly negatively impact my way of life, or the safety or future of my family, I couldn’t care less about it.”
It’s so exhausting to hunt down unbiased or genuine news or political discourse, that, after the first few years I was old enough to care about it, I simply, for the sake of my sanity, and to avoid developing friendships or enemies based on my beliefs, I’ve adopted the mantra of “so long as it doesn’t directly negatively impact my way of life, or the safety or future of my family, I couldn’t care less about it.”
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Maj James Tippins
CPL(P) (Join to see) - Apathy. It's a good thing the Founders pushed past that feeling.
If you spent some time chasing down the lies and deceit, your eyes would open fully. You'd see what is right.
The truth is black and white.
If you spent some time chasing down the lies and deceit, your eyes would open fully. You'd see what is right.
The truth is black and white.
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Many soldiers feel that their vote doesn't count in presidential elections, I get the point, sometimes I feel the same, however I tell them that okay to feel that way, but I tell them when they get home what Sheriff would they like to be pulled over by and which judge they would like to stand before, what auditor that they would like to assess their taxes. Who they want for senator or congressperson the people that really fight for their rights and benefits. That their vote for local offices really do count, it just so happens that someone running for president might just so happen to be on the ballot
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