Election season really brings out the nasties in a lot of people.

Probably the worst thing I hear during the election season is that people who don’t vote aren’t “real Americans,” or that they “should be ashamed.”

When it comes to freedom of speech, I think we all pretty much understand that everyone has the right to speak his or her mind even if we don’t agree with it. We believe this so much, we’ve come up with the phrase “agree to disagree” to help us cope with the understanding that we’ll not always see eye to eye on issues, but at least the issues are open to debate.

When it comes to voting, a type of political zealotry keeps hate speech flowing.

There are plenty of reasons to not vote. Depending on your viewpoints and the political landscape of where you live, your vote might not count after all. Your effort at the ballot box might have been wasted. Let’s call this what it is: the election process isn’t fair. If it was, everyone’s voice would be heard and everyone would get a say. Elections are a popularity contest, often fueled by machines driven by money and corporations.

But just because someone exercises their right not to vote doesn’t make him less of an American. It doesn’t make her shameful.

What is shameful, however, are the words of those who have made politics their religion.