No debate: My ballot will support voting rights

To the editor:

It’s a mystery to me why this election is supposedly close. I wonder why people discuss Obama’s alleged successes and failures over the last four years, or Romney’s hypothetical plans for the future. I’m not sure what the debates are supposed to accomplish, other than seeing who’s a better TV star. And I don’t know why I need to do any math regarding Romney’s 13 percent tax rate, his 1 percent status, or his stirring 47 percent remarks.  

To me, the decision to vote Democratic is as simple as it is clear. It comes down to the basic foundation of democracy, whereby citizens choose other citizens to represent them in government. It’s straightforward: we look at the stakes, weigh the options, choose favorites and then vote in the election. 

However, as anyone who keeps up with the news knows, Republicans around the country have been busy trying to suppress the votes of citizens likely to vote for their opponents.  Instead of convincing a majority of citizens that they are better qualified to represent them, as in a democracy, Republicans opt to prevent citizens from voting for their rivals.  

The translucent excuse they offer for these disturbing efforts is a claim to be fighting against voter fraud, despite the lack of evidence about this racket.  The tactics are as obvious as the purpose; to disenfranchise poor voters, minority voters, young voters, and anyone else who statistically leans Democratic. To gain power, Republicans seem perfectly happy to cheat rather than persuade. It’s a sinister business with a dark and dirty past that loosens the footing of our so-called democracy.       

The disgraceful, stolen election of the year 2000 is the best example of the deceit that Republicans resort to. That election has yet to be fully reckoned with, so the unscrupulous schemes continue undaunted. The good news is that this time the courts around the nation have been preventing these efforts. But the mystery remains: Why would anyone give power to cheaters with openly dishonest intentions?

Why would anyone vote for a party that doesn’t respect their fellow citizen’s right to vote? It seems pretty basic. So I’ll just keep scratching my head and cast a vote against the party of fraud.    

Nicky Enright