For every one that complains that they don’t like how the government is running things now and for every one that thinks the government is on the right track, today is your day — Election Day.
Nobody in this world has the right to complain about how our government is working, how our representatives are voting or how corrupt our state government is unless he or she has voted.
Voting for our representatives is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we do have the power to change how government works through our vote. Voting takes very little time, and if you did not vote for a candidate you should not complain, because you did not even take the time to vote for those people who make the decisions.
However, the sad fact of this world is that most people do not vote. They do not think it is worth the time; they don’t think their one vote will matter, and they think that there is nothing that can be done to fix the way politics are now.
Those people are wrong. While change is never easy or fast it can be done, and voters have proven they can speak with one very loud voice. Take for instance Gov. Jesse Ventura’s victory in Minnesota four years ago. No one expected Ventura to win, but it was the numerous voters who registered on Election Day that gave him the win.
In addition, students have absolutely no excuse not to vote. You can register today just by bringing in a utility bill with your name and address on it as well as some form of identification. You can find out where to vote by going to the city website at www.ci.Madison.wi.us.
There are a lot of things that need to be improved in our state. We are in the middle of a budget crisis, surrounded by our lawmakers’ corruption, and the future of our university is at stake. The next governor will be critical in shaping the next budget, dealing with the deficit and making sure the UW-System takes its fair share of the cuts while also making sure the university gets the funding it needs to provide a top education.
Also, the race for the second congressional district is on the line. On a federal level, this time period is one of the most critical. With the war against terrorism, the need for a department of homeland security, the war against Iraq and the economy, Congress will be making some tough decisions in the upcoming years. Students have been vocal about how they feel about Iraq especially; those arguments need to be reflected in the votes they cast today.
However, people should not go vote if they are uneducated about the candidates and the issues. The only thing someone can do that is worse than not voting is voting blindly. Voters need to make sure they are sending someone into office they think can do the best job.
Read the newspaper today, and get a grasp on the people running for office, and then go into the voting booth. Better yet, take a minute right now to contemplate what issues are the most important to you and your family, and then take a look at what the candidates believe in. If you don’t know what you believe in, don’t complain when someone does it for you.
In short, go vote. These are the people that represent you in government and make decisions that directly affect your life. Do the job right, and make sure they are representatives you believe in.
Katie Harbath ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in journalism and political science.
