Is voting a privilege, right or responsibility?
Rep. Randall Pettigrew
Privilege (n): An immunity or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the “advantaged” of most.
Right (n): That which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, or moral principles.
Responsibility (n): Being answerable or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management.
At first glance, it’s easy to view these terms as mutually exclusive. From their definitions, one would surmise – what is a “privilege” cannot be a right since rights are enjoyed by everyone, while a privilege is reserved for a select group. Likewise, it’s impossible for an individual to take on the burden of responsibility if they lack the right to vote in the first place.
I suggest a different perspective and view the ability to vote as all three simultaneously and weigh “right” after “privilege” or “responsibility.” For example, the ability to vote is a privilege granted to today’s eligible voters by those who fought for it in the past either through war, grassroots movements, or legislative battles (remembering not all countries enjoy the same freedom). These struggles have kept the United States as an independent nation and granted us the right to vote with the passage of the 15th, 19th , 24th , and 26th amendments, in addition to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. From this perspective, it is a privilege to live in the United States, standing on the shoulders of these past giants, and I have a responsibility to vote because it honors those who have put their lives on the line to protect it. Finally, it is also a responsibility because it highlights the importance of choosing the government.
When it comes to voting, “right” is a dangerous word as it suggests the ability to vote has simply been given to us without a fight, or worse yet, it suggests a sense of entitlement. Therefore, not accepting responsibility for how important it is and not recognizing what a privilege it is to have the right to vote, thereby demeans the individuals who fought to forge and preserve our freedoms.
From a rational perspective, when one considers the nature of the United States Bill of Rights, a document outlining the protected rights an individual enjoys as a U.S. citizen. The first ten amendments to the Constitution were written and ratified to ensure that government would not encroach on certain fundamental rights, including but not limited to such cornerstones of our Constitutional Republic as: free speech, press, religion, and assembly, to keep and bear arms, and security from unreasonable search and seizures. We cannot deny that our founders fought for these rights during the Revolutionary War, yet they were still called “rights” because of their value as the fundamental fabric of our republic, and not an entitlement!
The bottom line is this: We live in a country where personal choice is a freedom we all enjoy as long as we agree to live inside of given set of rules. These rules are founded on the Constitution and Amendments. The United States of America was founded as a Republic not a Democracy which means all of us have rights (with boundaries), many will agree each of those rights came at a cost and that we have the privilege and right to respect the cost paid.
As a State Representative, my oath is to protect our constitution, the United States first and the State of New Mexico second, and to impartially discharge those duties. There is a clear and definite attack on our constitution in New Mexico and in the United States
Your vote is the only thing that blocks that attack. Bad people are elected when good people don’t vote.
N.M. Rep. Randall Pettigrew, R-Lovington, represents N.M. House District 61.
