Thursday, September 01, 2016

A Political Thought for September 1

I have been mulling over again and again this concern I have heard often expressed, "I don't like the feeling of voting for the lesser of two evils." I can appreciate the sense of dissatisfaction in that. However, I have come to a different concern. If we accept that "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good [persons] to do nothing," (attributed, or more likely misattributed, to Edmund Burke; but thoughtful, whatever the source), then I think we are offered a different perspective. That is, we may feel some disappointment at the thought of voting for the lesser of two evils. However, we should feel a sense of duty to vote against the greater of two evils. That applies whether we identify the "evil" with a person or a platform; and whether the "evils" are two or more. (It applies whether you agree with me or disagree on where the "evil" is seen.) If we are called to act in this world for the love neighbor as self, we who are citizens have a positive moral duty, when we see "evil" to act against it. Vote!