Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Editor’s Note: The American Dossier is not in any way shape or form discouraging people from voting. In fairness to our friend and contributor, we present his experience of living in New Jersey and his perspective as a Libertarian to help us all understand and expose the toxic reality we are living in 2020. – John Katz, Editor, The American Dossier
Just a few weeks to go before the “most consequential election of our lifetime” on November 3, I have decided not to vote. Ever since I cast my first vote, in 1968, I have voted in virtually every presidential election, only missing going to the polls when I thought I could get the polls but did not make it for one or more reasons. For example, in 2016, when two New Yorkers — Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton — squared off in another previous “consequential election,” the line at my polling place was so long I could not wait because I had a meeting to attend that evening. In the past my polling place had at most a one or two minute wait, but not in 2016.
Nevertheless, we the people have been told every year it is our “sacred duty” to go to the polls in November and decide who will “serve” the people. In fact, the Daily Kos made its position known in no uncertain terms with the September 1 article, “We Are in a Struggle to Save America. Get Out the Vote is OUR SACRED DUTY!”
However, according to the dictionary “sacred duty” is: 1. exclusively devoted to a deity or to some religious ceremony or use; holy; consecrated. 2. worthy of or regarded with reverence, awe, or respect. 3. protected by superstition or piety from irreligious actions. 4. connected with or intended for religious use”. In other words, voting is a religious act. Really? Yes, “democracy” is our secular religion. And if you don’t vote, God will smote you on Election Day and our democracy will be undermined!
The Daily Kos essay asserts that voting against Donald Trump is imperative because he “and his Republican enablers are attempting to rig and steal the election. They are doing this because they are planning on destroying America’s democratic republic… This election determines whether America survives as a free nation or spirals downward into right-wing authoritarianism.” That’s the essence of the Democratic Party line.
On the other hand, Republicans assert that Joe Biden is in effect a stalking horse for the radical progressives who want to destroy the Republic by imposing democratic socialism, defunding the police, raising taxes, and taking away private health insurance among other statist policies.
If both assessments were correct, then the American people would be worse off no matter who wins the presidency. What a choice!
This year, according to one estimate, 156 million Americans will vote for president, up from the 139 million votes cast in 2016. Apparently, an additional 17 million Americans will embrace their “sacred duty” to cast a vote for president and other public offices, because they fear the candidate who they believe will destroy the country.
The enduring myth is that governors and mayors — and yes, presidents — pursue public office to “serve” the public. The evidence, however, is that both of the major political parties have embraced crony capitalism, profligate federal spending, never-ending Federal Reserve manipulation of interest rates and endless money printing, and continuing a reckless foreign policy of interventionism.
In short, statism has become America’s secular religion, and politicians and their media lackeys want us to go the polls to preserve the illusion of a real “choice.” No matter who wins the presidency, the federal Leviathan continues by one of two high priests of the church of big government.
What triggered my decision to not vote this year is simple. In my state, Governor Murphy issued an executive order that mail-in ballots would be sent to all 6.3 million voters in the Garden State and a vote in person will be a “provisional.” In the past, voting in person was the preferred way of casting a vote, and registered voters would have to request an absentee ballot because they would be on vacation, confined to a nursing home or for some other reason that would make in person voting difficult, if not impossible.
I, therefor, have decided not to participate in a “sham” election. If New Jerseyans have to wait on interminable lines at the DMV during this pandemic, then they can vote in person on November 3, or in person voting could be conducted over a few days before Election day so “every vote would be counted.” So why didn’t Gov. Murphy call for the polls to be open a few extra days to avoid long lines at the polls?
It is outrageous that Gov. Murphy’s dictatorial powers during the pandemic not only caused widespread economic misery but now he wants us to vote in a way that undermines the very democracy he claims to support. In person voting virtually eliminates any fraud or shenanigans at the ballot box.
Moreover, the election results in New Jersey and other states will not be known for days, if not weeks, after November 3. New Jersey will allow mail-in ballots to be postmarked November 3, the day of the election. These ballots have to be certified that they are not fraudulent, and then have to be counted. In other words, plenty of time for votes to be undercounted or overcounted.
Is this anyway to hold an election? Of course not.
Inasmuch as my vote would have no effect on the election outcome, I am exercising my civic duty to protest Gov. Murphy’s misfeasance and malfeasance.
Photo credit: lettawren (Creative Commons) – Some rights reserved
Dr. Murray Sabrin retired on July 1 2020, completing a 35 year teaching career as professor of finance at the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New Jersey. He has a Ph.D. in economic geography from Rutgers University, an M.A. in social studies education from Lehman College and a B.A. in history, geography and social studies education from Hunter College. Sabrin has worked in commercial real estate sales and marketing, personal portfolio management and economic research.
Sabrin’s articles have appeared in The Record (Hackensack, NJ), The Star Ledger, Trenton Times, the Asbury Park Press, and NJBIZ. His essays have also appeared in Commerce Magazine, Mid-Atlantic Journal of Business, and Privatization Review and www.lewrockwell.com. He is the author of Tax Free 2000: The Rebirth of American Liberty. Sabrin is the author of Why The Federal Reserve Sucks: It Causes Inflation, Recessions, Bubbles and Enriches the One Percent and is completing a book on how to create a single payer health care system, which puts individuals in charge of their medical care.
That’s a shame. People in other countries risk their very lives to vote. Many African-Americans are only 55 years removed from that.
Dr. Sabrin, I understand your frustration, as I too am totally against the idea of universal mail-in voting. As you say, the norm should be in-person voting, with absentee ballots allowed for those who fear going to the polls because of the pandemic. That’s what we’re having in my state (CT); to my great relief, the local Registrar of Voters sent us all absentee ballots, along with a letter explaining that the polls would be open as usual.
And going by the chaos that was the NYC primary, universal mail-in voting is a recipe for disaster – even if there’s no fraud, which is highly unlikely.
However, this election is way too important to sit out. Like you, I doubt my single vote will make a difference in my deep-blue state. But since CT has adopted the loony policy of awarding all its electoral votes to the nationwide winner of the popular vote, this very Democratic state might end up giving its votes to the Republican – and then my vote would definitely count!
And there are also local elections where my vote WILL make a difference. My town once held an election in which a candidate won by 4 votes – so I never make the mistake of thinking that my vote won’t count!
So I hope you will reconsider, because truly every vote DOES count – and we need yours.
Its really hard to not get saddened by how effective the brainwashing is on both sides. Divide rule, same as ever, remains effective because people want to blame others rather than look at themselves. I think the worst aspect is how good people get roped in and manipulated to believe its their duty to participate in the sham like the previous posters. Forget big picture how evil is trying to work within natural law and get people to use their free will to consent to the parasitic system. Its literally now all about passion for the lessor evil.
There is a native american story about two wolves that i will paraphrase: An elder tells his grandson about a battle that goes on inside every human between a good wolf and an evil wolf that determines who they will be and what kind of world they create. The grandson at the end of the story asks “which wolf will win?” to which the grandfather relies “whichever one you feed”.
Guess what happens when you feed the lessor evil wolf?
Sorry, but it’s definitely NOT a “sham” this time! Nor is it “greater vs. lesser evil.” If Biden wins, he and the Dems will do their worst to crush religious liberty, force everyone to finance unlimited abortion, advance the sexual alphabet-soup agenda, and acquiesce in the the persecution and enslavement of the Chinese people. Trump will do the opposite. The choice is a lot clearer than it’s been in years, and I believe that we all have the sacred duty to vote for the right side.