No excuse for voter apathy

Only about 20 percent of Kentucky’s registered voters took the time to vote Tuesday. This is totally unacceptable. I don’t want to hear the excuses unless they involve death, dismemberment or something really close.

Apparently it’s OK with the apathetic hundreds of thousands who didn’t vote that 20 percent of Kentucky is making their leadership decisions. Maybe non-voting slackers of any age do not understand that men and women have shed blood on battlefields and elsewhere to purchase this right for all voters. Maybe if people had to work for this privilege, they would be more mindful of getting to the polls. If people are too apathetic to vote, maybe they should lose the right. Perhaps we should go over the voter rolls and, if anyone has not voted for two consecutive elections, without a very good reason, suspend their right to vote until they do 2,000 hours of documented community service.

On Tuesday, I voted. The next time there is an election, I will vote. I have earned the right to complain about who got the votes and to complain if my expectations of elected officials are not met.

This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 6:20 PM with the headline "No excuse for voter apathy."