Be Informed or Stay Home

Several years ago on the Sunday before election day, the late David Brinkley closed his program by repeating the bromide that everyone had a duty to vote. He then remarked that he disagreed. Brinkley said that anyone who to that time had not bothered to learn about the candidates or the issues should stay at home and leave the voting to those who had done so.

Brinkley was right. The right to vote is an important one, but there is no virtue in going to a polling place, standing in line, and pulling a few levers. A functioning democracy really needs an informed citizenry. Those who know nothing about this election beyond what they have seen in the flood of negative ads pouring in from all sides would do the country a favor by staying home.