Opinion: Letter
No excuse to avoid election
Looking for a print version?
Simply use your browser’s ‘Print’ command and a printer-friendly document will be generated automatically.
Also by Letters to the Editor:
- Clegg absurd, biased on CFACT (May 5, 2009)
- Fund peer tutors (April 28, 2009)
- UW policy consistent with nation (April 23, 2009)
- Biddy's initiative not worth it (April 20, 2009)
- A plan for better advising (April 20, 2009)
Sharing tools:
E-mail this article:
On Nov. 4, if you are an 18-year-old citizen, you will be able to vote. But imagine Election Day 100 years ago. If you are a woman, you do not have the right to vote, and if you are black, there exists so many political barriers that it is impossible to vote. However, in the next few days, we will either have the first black president or the first female vice president. This Election Day truly symbolizes how far we have come as a country.
But, we can still go even further in creating the changes our country needs. In the next eight years, our country can work to reduce poverty, lower greenhouse gases and build a stable economy. And the easiest way to impact our country’s direction is through voting.
However, in the past few decades, the youth vote is always the lowest in the nation. The first election when 18-year-olds were granted the right to vote was in 1972. Despite being granted a right other populations fought and suffered to receive, the turnout among those 18 to 24 has declined by 16 percentage points between 1972 and 2000. The voting history of young adults is not all grime, however. In 2004, we showed up to the polls in record numbers, increasing the youth vote by 11 percent. However, even with this great increase, still only 47 percent of the 18 to 24-year-olds voted, compared to 66 percent of those 25 and older.
So why don’t young people vote? Many people point to the “cycle of mutual neglect” of both politicians and young people. Politicians do not target young people’s concerns when campaigning because young people do not have a record of voting, and young people do not vote because they think politicians do not care about their concerns.
Some say politicians should stop negatively charged campaigns and instead use their advertisements to explain to young people how their policies will help the average college student. If politicians would be willing to do this, it would probably have a very positive outcome on the youth turnout.
But, when do those in power ever seek to make drastic changes in policy without public support? To make real change, there must first be initiative on those who need the change to happen. To gain the right to vote, women from 1848 to 1920 held conventions and gave public speeches. Some were even jailed for their protests. Before blacks could vote without fear, 200,000 people had to march in Washington, D.C., in 1963 to demand equal rights.
And like our predecessors, if the young people of this nation want change to happen and want politicians to take them seriously, then they will have to work to make that change happen. But, as I said beforehand, the easiest way for us to have an impact is through voting.
And those of you unsure about the process or about the issues, there are several places where you can gain information, including candidate websites and the student chapters of the College Democrats and College Republicans. But, if you want a nonpartisan approach, there is www.dividedwefail.org and student groups on campus, such as Wisconsin Student Pubic Interest Research Group, who seeks to educate students on the issues without supporting a specific political party. Students can educate themselves before they vote by obtaining information on the issues at WISPIRG’s Get Out the Vote tabling event that will be held Monday at Library Mall from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This election is already going to be historic, but we can make it historic in another way: We can show politicians we do care and make this the largest youth voter turnout ever in U.S. history.
Jessica Klinge
Senior, geography, history and history of science
9 Comments | Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Herald Blogs
The Beat Goes On
Brother Ali makes an ‘Exclusive’ stop
Muckrakers
Report: Barrett to make decision by the end of the week
Extra Points
Top Classified Ads (view all)
HOUSES FOR Fall 2010. All houses are on W Dayton or N Bassett. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 bedrooms. All have parking. madisoncampusrentals.com
Only vote if you understand what the issues are. If you don’t know where Iraq is on a map, who our current Vice President is, or have never heard the word perestroika, you might want to consider 1) not voting, or 2) ask someone who’s paying attention who to vote for. No one has any business voting by random selection.
It’s so important to exercise our rights to vote! Every vote matters…so please everyone get out there. And if you haven’t been properly convinced to vote for Barack Obama, well then…go do your research, and you will be
why was our country in such better standing in the world when only white landowning men could vote. Not saying its right, just making an observation.
So of you were brought up in the post-coldwar era, and thus not likely to know russian political lingo pertinent to the communist party, then this somehow makes your uneducated and invalidates your vote? Not quite! I get the impression that person is one of the loonies who cling to this idea that barack obama is a marxist/communist/socialist/etc, why else would they bring up perestroika. When someone says something like “Only vote if you understand what they issues are” what they really mean is “Only vote if your as intelligent as me and will vote the way I do.”
Your vote matters, get informed, do your research, find the answers, do whatever you need to do, but VOTE! Its the only voice most of us have that has a chance of being heard.
Replying to Anonymous: “why was our country in such better standing in the world when only white landowning men could vote. Not saying its right, just making an observation.”
I guess it was better off,… if you happen to have been a white land-owning male. If not, it might not have been so fantastic.
This is in reply to anonymous that said “why was our country in such better standing in the world when only white landowning men could vote. Not saying its right, just making an observation.” First of all, I really don’t understand your comment. So are you referring to the pre-civil war period? I don’t think our country was in better standing in the world. Great britain was the superior economic power around the world until WW2. And if you are referring to public opinion of us around the world, then it is true we have always been seen as a place of fresh starts and opportunity. I think we would still be seen that way, if it were not for the current presidental administration’s policies.
Don’t vote if you are an idiot.
Don’t vote if you are just guessing.
Don’t vote just because somebody gives you a dollar, or some candy or cigarettes.
Don’t vote unless you at least THINK you know what you are doing.
Anonymous (October 30, 2008 @ 11:40am):
why was our country in such better standing in the world when only white landowning men could vote. Not saying its right, just making an observation.
you need to not vote. get out from under your rock and educate yourself.
To 4:15pm: If stupid people don’t vote, then that rules out all you liberal college students.