Duty and obligation are oft used interchangeably: they are not always so. Duty, derives it existence from the requirement or owing of something. Obligation, has a moral root from the belief that you must perform something.
You as a member of a democratic society, have an obligation to go to polls and place your ex on a spot and vote. Your have no duty to do so. You do not owe me or any other person you action to make your make on the ballot. Your moral requirement is derived from your acceptance by residing where you do. A representative democracy places a moral obligation on you to state who will be the person to represent you.
You cannot simply say, “I don’t care who gets in, they are all the same.”. by accepting to live here, you are obliged to do the smallest part of your obligation and pass your say on to a representative. Society does not operate by rules or laws, it operates because we all agree there is a moral obligation to act in certain ways.
Now you may say my guy I voted for was not elected. That may be true, but you completed your moral obligation to voice your opinion and toss your hat the way of the person of your choice. That is all that is required. The elected are then entrusted with your morality through them. You are now absolved of responsibility until the term of office is complete.
You owe no body anything that you should vote. When this occurs, it is called patronage. Somebody paid you for your vote. In a representative democracy, it is known as corruption. While this does happen more often that one might think, it is not the reason to vote or a good reason to vote. Corruption is unavoidable with the human spirit. Freedom of thought is inviolable.
These times occur at various terms and opportunities as we all live and age. When you are able, morally you must.
Foam it on the top Fabriana, make your mark.
Mark Hull Du Calumet, First of the coterie of York, Son of Don, Scion of Karl in the House of Pfunkstadt, Connubial of Suzanne, Yeoman to the Hun of Honda, Prevailing in the Seat of Hespeler, Having been again to Australia, and now Grandad's Land, and for some, from The Dark Side. Not am Main nor ab der Elba, but down the Donau, and with Turkish Chai. #garagelurker2019, also A.C., Cee Minus.
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.