15 August 2014

Actually, even if you don't vote, you can still complain

That august journal the NZ Herald (aka 'Granny') has repeated the now widespread cliche that you should vote in order to 'earn the right to complain.' That is, 'if you don't vote, you have no grounds to complain.'
This is complete nonsense. And it's time we stopped saying it. In a country that promotes freedom of speech, anyone, regardless of their eligibility to vote, let alone whether they did or did not vote, has the right to speak out and complain about politicians, politics or particular policies.
In fact, choosing to abstain from voting may in itself be a form of complaint about politics for some people. They have the right.

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