I have thought for years that the best way to honor veterans would be to make Veterans Day election day every year. Federal offices would be voted every two years with state and local offices according to their own schedules — some in off years, others to coincide with the feds. What better reminder of veterans’ sacrifices than to participate in the democracy they served for?
Many have argued that Election Day should be a holiday to encourage voting and eliminate the hardships that taking time off from busy schedules to go vote -or work at the polls - bring about. Veterans Day is already a holiday. Why not simply combine the two?
Many, if not most, people treat Veterans Day as just another day off. It has no other significance for them than that. Fine. Let them vote absentee, or vote early, or live somewhere with mail in ballots. And then take the day off. You honored vets by voting.
And there should be a fine for not voting. I suggest $100 added to your tax bill (or deducted from withholding). It’s not nearly enough, but it gets people’s attention.
We have an all-volunteer military these days, and yet there is no requirement to participate in the democracy they sign up to defend. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
What do you think?