Why Americans Should Vote
Americans and Voting
There is value in having and exercising the right to vote. Americans today have developed a mindset that their vote does not make a difference, and that voicing out their opinions is a waste of time. This is not the case, however, as the rights that Americans are neglecting are the same rights that our ancestors have fought for during the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment. The laws that affect the average individuals, the influences of various platformed parties, and the importance of voting in society exemplifies why Americans should value their right to vote.
Many laws affect the American’s rights to vote as an individual. For instance, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution states that it grants Americans the right to vote, furthermore stating that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This declares, simply and literally, that there is no discrimination in voicing out one’s opinion, no matter what the race, color, or previous condition of servitude. African Americans of the 1960’s suffered greatly from injustice and racism, thus, abolishing the discrimination within voting is extremely important and healthy for our society today. Another example is the Voting Rights Act, as it “banned the use of literacy tests, provided for federal oversight of voter registration in areas where less than 50 percent of the nonwhite population had not registered to vote, and authorized the U.S. attorney general to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections” (www.history.com). Along with the abolishment of direct discrimination of race, is the abolishment of indirect discrimination, such as literacy tests. The purpose of this Act is to intentionally block all types of discrimination as well as prejudice in the area of voting. Society should voice out their opinions through voting,
There is value in having and exercising the right to vote. Americans today have developed a mindset that their vote does not make a difference, and that voicing out their opinions is a waste of time. This is not the case, however, as the rights that Americans are neglecting are the same rights that our ancestors have fought for during the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment. The laws that affect the average individuals, the influences of various platformed parties, and the importance of voting in society exemplifies why Americans should value their right to vote.
Many laws affect the American’s rights to vote as an individual. For instance, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution states that it grants Americans the right to vote, furthermore stating that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This declares, simply and literally, that there is no discrimination in voicing out one’s opinion, no matter what the race, color, or previous condition of servitude. African Americans of the 1960’s suffered greatly from injustice and racism, thus, abolishing the discrimination within voting is extremely important and healthy for our society today. Another example is the Voting Rights Act, as it “banned the use of literacy tests, provided for federal oversight of voter registration in areas where less than 50 percent of the nonwhite population had not registered to vote, and authorized the U.S. attorney general to investigate the use of poll taxes in state and local elections” (www.history.com). Along with the abolishment of direct discrimination of race, is the abolishment of indirect discrimination, such as literacy tests. The purpose of this Act is to intentionally block all types of discrimination as well as prejudice in the area of voting. Society should voice out their opinions through voting,