Our Voice

    A little over a month from now, Americans all over the nation will once again exercise one of the most important privileges of being a citizen: the right to vote.
    During the Presidential Elections of 2004, 47 percent of voters were between the ages of 18-24. This is significantly higher than the voting turnout in 2000, which was about 36 percent, according to the National Census Bureau.
    While the rise of voting turnout among people our age is certainly encouraging, the numbers speak for themselves. More than half the people in this age group did not vote.
    Maybe you don’t know your issues, maybe you don’t know your candidates, maybe you don’t really understand the party you are endorsing or maybe you just don’t care.
    You should care because your vote counts.
    Now would be the time to start figuring out which candidates support the ideals in which you believe.
    College students are among the most vocal and influential groups that can help bring awareness to the public. College students are more visible, and more likely to participate in rallies and demonstrations. Most importantly, many students do not seem to realize what kind of power the college-aged demographic has at its disposal.
    It is a widespread presumption that many college students are passionate about the political issues that they care about.
 However, many college students are also misinformed and apathetic when it comes to political views. 
    Their political views are widely shaped by the influences of their friends and family, without requiring any personal understanding of the issues.  More often than not, they later find out that they have been affiliated with parties and groups with whom they don’t entirely agree.
    Being a republican does not automatically make you a Bush-loving, immigrant hating religious nut. Being a democrat does not mean that you are an anti-American, Clinton-loving, flaming liberal that supports infanticide.
    Forget that your family has long endorsed the Republican or the Democratic Party. Do your own research. If you don’t know exactly what conservatism and/or liberalism means, then you probably aren’t sure about the platforms of your party. Being informed protects you from sounding naïve. Heck, it only makes you sound smart and educated.
    This is most crucial because it seems that students knew more about Paris Hilton’s DUI arrest than they did about the politicians running for their congressional district and the gubernatorial seat.
    Many students are barely aware of the congressional district in which they live, and many also do not know who will be running against Sonny Perdue this November.  Some do not know who Sonny Perdue is.  Some just became aware two sentences ago that there will be an election this November. 
    That is just sad.
    The Presidential Election of 2004 had the largest voting turnout since 18-21-year-olds were first allowed to vote in 1972. Voting used to be a right of passage. And while voting isn’t as exciting as some other rights of passage, it is most definitely something in which everyone should participate. If you haven’t registered to vote, you should. It will take five minutes of your time. Make your voice count.
    And for those of you still scratching your heads, Mark Taylor is running against Sonny Perdue. And this Sonny Perdue character? He’s the current governor.
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Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 29 2006. Filed under Opinion, Our Voice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry