"There are five boxes to use in the defense
of Liberty: The Soap Box, the Mail Box, the
Ballot Box, the Jury Box, and the Ammunition Box.
Please use them in that order."
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
--George Jean Nathan (1882-1958)
It is your responsibility, as a U.S. Citizen, to vote. If you are unhappy with the actions of your representatives, but you do not vote, you have no one to blame but yourself. It you've tried using The Mailbox, and your representative is not representing your views, it's time to vote them out of office, and convince others to do the same.
Unhappy with someone you can't vote out of office because either they don't live in your district, or they're a company who's policies and practices you find un-American? Vote with your wallet. If it's a city that passed some legislation you disagree with, then write its representatives and tell them why you'll never visit there and spend your vacation dollars there. If it's a company, refuse to frequent the establishment and call or write the company to tell them why. Telling them why is the essential part, especially if you can quantify how much you spend in their establishment.
If you have tried The Mailbox, and you have tried voting people out of office, your last resort is to vote with your feet: move. Sometimes this just means moving a few miles away to get into a more favorable tax area, better school district, or lower crime. Other times this means moving to a different state. This is similar to voting with your wallet because by moving out of an area, you're taking your money, all of your money, with you. Be sure to consult resources such as the Tax Foundation's web site (be sure to look over such papers as the State Business Tax Climate Index), and City-Data.com to research your area and compare it to other areas.
The Ballot Box
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
--George Jean Nathan (1882-1958)
Voting in Elections
It is your responsibility, as a U.S. Citizen, to vote. If you are unhappy with the actions of your representatives, but you do not vote, you have no one to blame but yourself. It you've tried using The Mailbox, and your representative is not representing your views, it's time to vote them out of office, and convince others to do the same.
- Register to Vote and Voting
- Learn about Elections and Voting
- Volunteering and Contributing to the Election Process
- 2008 Absentee Voting Information for Americans Abroad
- VOTE411.org
- Project Vote Smart - Voter Registration Resources
Voting with your Wallet
Unhappy with someone you can't vote out of office because either they don't live in your district, or they're a company who's policies and practices you find un-American? Vote with your wallet. If it's a city that passed some legislation you disagree with, then write its representatives and tell them why you'll never visit there and spend your vacation dollars there. If it's a company, refuse to frequent the establishment and call or write the company to tell them why. Telling them why is the essential part, especially if you can quantify how much you spend in their establishment.
Voting with your Feet
If you have tried The Mailbox, and you have tried voting people out of office, your last resort is to vote with your feet: move. Sometimes this just means moving a few miles away to get into a more favorable tax area, better school district, or lower crime. Other times this means moving to a different state. This is similar to voting with your wallet because by moving out of an area, you're taking your money, all of your money, with you. Be sure to consult resources such as the Tax Foundation's web site (be sure to look over such papers as the State Business Tax Climate Index), and City-Data.com to research your area and compare it to other areas.
