Vote: it’s your right and your responsibility

United States citizenship includes a set of rights and responsibilities. Overwhelmingly it seems that rights pull our focus away from our responsibilities.

But even in this category, not all rights are equal. Consider the right to vote.

Odds are that fewer than 20 percent of us will make the time today to meet our responsibility to participate in the democratic process. It is this right we roll out when we laud veterans’ service. We say they served and sacrificed for our right to vote.

On Veterans Day we’re big fans of our voting rights. But on Election day, we dishonor our veterans’ service with our consistently abysmal voter turnout numbers.

Among our rights are freedom of speech; freedom to worship; the right to a prompt, fair trial by jury; the right to run for elected office; and the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

These rights serve a purpose beyond ensuring the government is fair in its relations with us. They also bind our nation together. We are largely a nation of immigrants with varied religious and ethnic backgrounds. But we are united by our shared slate of rights and responsibilities.

Voting is one item that shows up in both the rights and responsibilities columns for U.S. citizens. It’s listed alongside more popular items, such as the responsibility to support and defend the Constitution.

U.S. citizens also have a responsibility to respect and obey federal, state, and local laws; stay informed of the issues affecting your community; respect the rights, beliefs and opinions of others; participate in your local community; serve jury duty; promptly, honestly pay state, federal and local taxes; and defend the country, if the need should arise.

This is what we tell people about their rights and responsibilities who apply for citizenship, anyway.

There is a lot of talk these days about First and Second Amendment rights. But very little is said about our responsibilities to use these rights responsibly. Yet any conversation about our duty as U.S. citizens is incomplete unless we consider rights and responsibility in the same breath.

Imagine the outcry if the borough, state or federal government tried to pass a law that said only 20 percent of us could vote. Or only 20 percent of us had freedom of speech or could own guns. We imagine our neighbors’ outrage would be swift and unrelenting.

No way are we going to let the government take our guns or free speech rights. But 80 percent of us seem ready just to hand over our right to vote, our right to participate in our own government.

Candidates here are too often elected by just a few hundred voters instead of the thousands of eligible voters in the Mat-Su. We’ve heard tell of candidates switching churches this time of year because elections totals are so small, one good-sized congregation can seat its own assembly, city council, or school board member.

Surprise us. Blow our socks off — we beg you. Please show us voter turnout numbers like the Mat-Su Borough has never seen before in a Primary Election. And then let’s do it again for the elections on Oct. 7 and Nov. 4.