Politics and Apathy
After years of campaigning and months of anticipation, election day is finally here. Being how this is my first eligable election, I was very excited about casting my vote to the candidate of my choice (a hint on who it is: the smart one...even if he does look like a horse!).
As election day draws closer, I have overheard a few conversations all with the same disturbing trend - that of the strong feeling of apathy most people have towards the election. I know that this is not a very original point or feeling, but I honestly believe that if anything has the capacity to destroy this nation, apathy will.
To me, I am continuously flabbergasted everytime I hear people who just does not care about voting or the election. I understand and agree that politics are often times shady and in many ways, can be less than attractive or interesting. However, I also understand that nothing can have more impact in your life like politics or the presidential elections. By not caring, someone is giving up their opinion on issues like the war, abortion, gay marriages, the economy, stem cell research...the list goes on. To me, it is most disturbing when feelings like this comes out of the mouths of students around campus - students who arguably, is the one group who have the most influence and are the future of this country.
It's true that changes can be made to better the voting process. It might also be true that because of the emphasis on the individual (one of the trademarks of this country), some people do not vote because they think that things will not affect them directly. But by not voting, a citizen of the United States is also giving up their constitutional right - the right to choose their leaders and set the future course of this country.
There are countries where its people treasure their rights to vote so much that most are willing to wait all day just to caste their vote. Compare that with Indiana where about 7,000 students in the state are registered to vote and out of that, about 4,000 are IU students. The student population of IU Bloomington is around 40,000 people.
Too many people in this country take for granted their right to vote.
In my opinion, even Bush voters are better than those who don't vote at all.
(Might I add what also pisses me off: that most of the world wishes they can vote in our election, and there's not enough citizens in this country that cares enough about the election to freakin vote!! And on a side note, just found out from a classmate of mine who heard from the BBC this morning that Bush and Kerry are related by something like 9 generations removed.)
As election day draws closer, I have overheard a few conversations all with the same disturbing trend - that of the strong feeling of apathy most people have towards the election. I know that this is not a very original point or feeling, but I honestly believe that if anything has the capacity to destroy this nation, apathy will.
To me, I am continuously flabbergasted everytime I hear people who just does not care about voting or the election. I understand and agree that politics are often times shady and in many ways, can be less than attractive or interesting. However, I also understand that nothing can have more impact in your life like politics or the presidential elections. By not caring, someone is giving up their opinion on issues like the war, abortion, gay marriages, the economy, stem cell research...the list goes on. To me, it is most disturbing when feelings like this comes out of the mouths of students around campus - students who arguably, is the one group who have the most influence and are the future of this country.
It's true that changes can be made to better the voting process. It might also be true that because of the emphasis on the individual (one of the trademarks of this country), some people do not vote because they think that things will not affect them directly. But by not voting, a citizen of the United States is also giving up their constitutional right - the right to choose their leaders and set the future course of this country.
There are countries where its people treasure their rights to vote so much that most are willing to wait all day just to caste their vote. Compare that with Indiana where about 7,000 students in the state are registered to vote and out of that, about 4,000 are IU students. The student population of IU Bloomington is around 40,000 people.
Too many people in this country take for granted their right to vote.
In my opinion, even Bush voters are better than those who don't vote at all.
(Might I add what also pisses me off: that most of the world wishes they can vote in our election, and there's not enough citizens in this country that cares enough about the election to freakin vote!! And on a side note, just found out from a classmate of mine who heard from the BBC this morning that Bush and Kerry are related by something like 9 generations removed.)
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