If You Don't Vote, You can't Complain

I know several people that choose not to excerise their right to vote.

They still hold to the disproven notion "With so many millions of people voting, my vote isn't going to matter."

These are the same people that later on complain when things go badly.

I remind them that by not voting, they forfeit their right to complain.

By choosing to not vote, you are essentially removing yourself from the democratic process. Hence, you have relegated yourself to the role of spectator.

Which brings me this article at the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082601323_pf.html

The part that caught my eye was this:

The draft constitution, as it stood early Sunday, allowed for the next National Assembly to approve creation of a new federal region by a simple majority, authorities said. Shiites make up an estimated 60 percent of Iraq's population and would almost certainly hold a majority in the next assembly.

Sunni Arabs, who made up Iraq's ruling elite for decades but fell from dominance with the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, largely stayed out of this past January's National Assembly elections in response to insurgent threats and boycott calls from Sunni leaders. The move left them with comparatively little political leverage in the constitutional negotiations."

When the election was held, the Sunnis stayed home. They didn't vote.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of the Iraqi population snubbed their noses against "insurgent threats", showed up at the polls and voted.

So now we have the people, and their leaders, WHO STAYED HOME wanting to have a say in the Constitutional process????

My question to the Sunnis and their leaders is this:

WHERE WERE YOU BACK IN JANUARY?

WHILE YOUR COUNTRYMEN WHERE RISKING THEIR LIVES TO VOTE, WHERE WERE YOU???

I hate having to repeat myself but:

By choosing to not vote, you are essentially removing yourself from the democratic process. Hence, you have relegated yourself to the role of spectator.