Secret Truth

You know what's great about democracies? Anyone who wants to vote has the right to.

You know what's not so great about them? A lot of people feel obligated to vote.

I'm just going to come right out and say it: the worst thing to happen to American democracy is the idea that everyone is obligated to vote. Really, those "Rock the Vote" ads represent so much that's wrong with our society. Because think about it, if somebody needs flashy commercials and peer pressure to convince them to vote for the future, should they really be voting in the first place?

Yeah, it's important that a good number of people vote. But not everyone has to vote. Quite frankly, only the passionate individuals who really care about governance should vote. Only the political junkies, or people with a solid enough understanding of America and its principles, should be allowed to vote.

Does that mean America would become an oligarchy? No. It'd simply mean that only those who care about government--those who invest time and energy into thinking about it--would vote. Only those who cared about the American government would try to influence it.

It'd certainly be better than people choosing our leaders based on looks, or who's on the ballot first.