OPINION & EDITORIAL
GOP urges campus to cast educated ballots
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Also by Guest Columnist:
- Stop America's 'green scare' (December 10, 2007)
- Greek sexuality misconceptions unfair (December 6, 2007)
- Security fee shows UWPD's prejudice (December 6, 2007)
- Vote Democrat, vote equal LGBT rights (December 6, 2007)
- Free trade stagnates upward mobility (December 6, 2007)
Related Stories:
- ASM: Vote early, vote often (April 5, 2006)
- ASM: Vote early, vote often (April 6, 2006)
- Absentee votes can be cast while naked (March 7, 2007)
- Votes must be cast, counted (September 14, 2004)
- Legislation harmful to voters (February 11, 2005)
by Guest Columnist
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Voting is not required. Voting is not effortless. But voting is a responsibility.
Yes, Election Day is on a school day. However, Election Day is also on a work day. Polls in Madison are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The last time I checked, students hardly thought of themselves as less competent than older adults.
Maybe no one has come to your door to register you and let you know where to vote. Honestly, downloading a song takes more time and effort than finding the necessary paperwork for registering to vote on Election Day. In the time it takes to sign on to Facebook, you can enter your address at www.cityofmadison.com/clerk to see the location of your polling place.
After two years of voting and trying to get my friends to vote, I find that the overall reason why many people do not vote is because they're engaging in a silent protest.
Some protest the fact that student issues are not on the ballot. Issues like taxes and health care just aren't current topics that come up in their lives.
However, education budget cuts and financial aid are very divisive subjects for candidates in this upcoming election. Students have the opportunity to improve the college experience for themselves and the generations to come.
Also, referendums on this year's ballot involve gay marriage, the death penalty and the war in Iraq. These issues affect the lives of every citizen and arguably have the greatest impact on our generation. Get real!
Some protest what they believe to be unlikable candidates. Whether a reaction to attack ads or political scandal, many just hate the contenders.
But with today's technology, it's just as easy to learn about candidates as to stalk classmates. The problem is students think that the relationship status of a random person is more important to look up than the voting record of a candidate.
Debates between candidates are held on campus for the convenience of University of Wisconsin students. The College Republicans also invite candidates and other speakers to speak at meetings. No commitments are necessary, it is just an opportunity to ask questions and hear the issues. Get educated!
Some protest the radicals, including those on Library Mall, who are constantly shoving literature at people walking to class. The extreme attitudes and rude attacks are a huge turn-off.
What people forget is that radicals actually turn out the vote. If they don't represent your beliefs, the answer isn't to stay at home. Get out the vote!
Get real. Get educated. Get out the vote.
Because candidates and campaigns do so much work these days, it's easy to forget that voting is an individual responsibility, not just for students but for all eligible voters. Educated voters don't rely solely on campaign ads or press releases. Educated voters get both sides of the story and make up their own minds.
As students of a great educational institution, we need to demand of ourselves educated decisions and fact-based arguments.
No more excuses.
Democracy undeniably works best when everyone has a chance to express his or her beliefs, wants and needs. Some think of voting as a right. Some think of it as a necessity.
More than 30 countries have some form of compulsory voting, a system that requires eligible citizens to vote, but the U.S. is obviously not one of them.
You don't have to vote. By not voting, you are exercising your freedom of speech and choice and students love exercising every right they have.
But by not voting, you're also forfeiting your right to representation in government. By not voting, you're letting others decide what issues matter and what the country supports.
According to voting data from 2002, the last non-presidential congressional election, only 37 percent of the voting age population voted.
For almost every group of three, only one chooses to make his voice heard. Are you ready to let him decide your vote for you?
Angela Wang (acwang1@wisc.edu) is a member of the College Republicans.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 1:31am):
People definitely need to stop complaining and just vote! Seriously, there is no legitimate excuse for not voting.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 7:37am):
Angela thinks the non-voting public would vote Republican... wow.
Here's the first lesson in "getting educated": When the president won't use the phrase "stay the course" anymore, it is the moment when even those with half a brain (see: president) understand that it's time to change. Now, where's that timetable?
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 7:44am):
Yes indeed, we must cast educated ballots.
Vote for Jim Doyle, Herb Kohl, and Tammy Baldwin -- three candidates who support education!
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 8:54am):
maybe people don't vote because all politicians are corrupt liars and frauds?
really, when push comes to shove, bush or kerry, doyle or green, they're all the same, driven by corporate interests, not the people.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 9:00am):
Herb Kohl doesn't support education. Vote Rae Vogeler!
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 10:13am):
Rae Vogeler is an idiot. And this corrupt BS is you being bitter that you support a third party candidate.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 11:13am):
By all means educate yourself and vote but if you don't have a clue stay home on election day - don't just guess.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 12:08pm):
You kids are cute.
Voting isn't gonna do a damn thing for you other than leave you cold and wet (weather dependent).
You're still going to live in a country where the FCC destroys study results when they don't conform to what the telecomm industry wants.
You're still going to live in a country where the head of the FDA lies about ownership of stock in the drug companies he's "regulating".
You're still going to live in a country where the head of mine safety is a mining industry guy who's own mines have some of the worst safety records in the country.
You're still going to live in a country where its legal to influence political decisions by giving politicians large sums of money (thereby renedering our "votes" useless).
If you think a democrat would not make such financially motivated decisions you're living in a college freshman dream world (forgivable for those of you who are freshman). The rest of you kids need to wake up and realize that your votes are meaningless compared to big money and that's not going to change.
Cash rules everything around me, see?
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 12:47pm):
That dude had me until he quoted the Wu Tang Clan.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 3:04pm):
Does it matter?
I vote for some schmuck, Time Warner contributes millions of dollars to both parties. Who do you think gets representation?
When the FCC commissions a study that doesn't come out favorably for their corporate masters so they destroy it, we've got a problem far larger than any vote or any country voting in the aggregate, could ever overcome. And if think only a Bush appointee would order such a thing, you're as clueless as a freshman.
(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14836500/)
Vote for whoever you want, or don't vote at all, it doesn't matter. The only thing hiking to the polls on November 7th will do for you is get you cold, and possibly wet. Unless you are an incredibly wealthy multi-national corporation you'll still be ignored, your taxes will still go to subsidies and corporate welfare, and you'll still only have one choice for cable television.
I would think a college republican would already know that.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 4:16pm):
Psh. Everyone knows that "educated ballots" don't exist in Madison.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 5:23pm):
Funny how a member of the College Republicans talk about "Democracy."
Every vote better be counted this November no matter who that vote goes toward.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 6:04pm):
To anonymous comments at 12:08 and 3:04. Did you read the article? If you would get motivated, sponsor a good candidate, spread the word, your voice would get heard. You kind of need to TRY however. Because you're giving up so easily, you've become just another lazy non-voter.
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 6:48pm):
Too bad people don't pay as much attention to politics as they do to sports.
Maybe somebody good would try for president if it came with a 200 million dollar contract?
Anonymous (October 24, 2006 @ 11:01pm):
GOP also urges campus to vote Nov. 8
Anonymous (October 25, 2006 @ 12:16am):
"Maybe somebody good would try for president if it came with a 200 million dollar contract?"
Duh, they already do. Why do you think they let lobbyists in bed with them?
