I knew yesterday that I had a column to write for today. I ran through a list of things that I could possibly write about.

I could write about the mayoral race. However, I do not know very much about the candidates. I know that one of them is named Burt. I know that another one advocates zeppelins for transportation. I know that another one is racist. That, though, is the full extent of my knowledge about the mayoral race.

Also, I don’t really care yet. I have months to come up with a vote, and I would need to look candidates up and learn about their stances on the issues. That would take work.

I continued my search for a topic.

Next I thought that I could write about the state budget. However, I do not know very much about the state budget. I know that Wisconsin has no money. I know that the University of Wisconsin may soon face an enormous budget cut. I know that Doyle says he will not raise taxes. On the other hand, I don’t know at all what Doyle plans to do to rectify the situation.

Also, I don’t really care. There was nothing that I could write in a column about the state budget that would be at all helpful to the situation. For one, students get bored with stuff like that. Plus, lawmakers would not change their views on the budget after reading my column. I would, in addition, have to look up Doyle’s plan and the plans of his partners in legislative crime. That would take work.

I thought some more, trying to come up with a good topic.

Then I thought I could write about the possible war on Iraq. However, I do not know very much about the war on Iraq. I know that we may go to war. I know that Saddam Hussein appears to be a cold-blooded dictator. However, I don’t know much about the other side of the issue: what a war would mean for America, how many soldiers would be killed, what the real issue beneath the American propaganda is.

Also, I don’t really care. Right now, the possible war seems so far distant that it has made no distinct impression on me whatsoever. On the one hand, I dislike death as much as the next person. But I also like to drive my car. I supposed that I could look up some information and write a knowledgeable opinion. But that would take work.

Ah, yes: some good old-fashioned research. And then I wondered, why do few people make the effort to learn about the issues that are shaping history?

I didn’t wonder for long. People don’t take the effort, I realized, because people don’t care. So why don’t people care?

When we look at the laundry list of issues on which we may have opinions, the sheer number of topics becomes mind-boggling. When, however, we look at the list of issues that we think we may possibly be able to affect, the list becomes much, much smaller.

I know that there is nothing that I personally can do to stop the war in Iraq ? nor can I do anything that would make the war more likely. I know that I will not have any affect whatsoever on Doyle’s budget; no matter how scathing an opinion piece I write, I am only one writer at a college newspaper. And that is me ? the average person has even less of an opportunity to get on his soapbox and really make a difference in national or even statewide politics.

Most people don’t want learn about or get emotionally invested in issues over which they have no control. And at present, we as individuals have no real control over the war with Iraq, or Doyle’s budget, or even the mayoral race. Lawmakers have lost their ability to hear and actually listen to the will of the people.

Maybe someday, legislators will open their ears and stop using their political roles as diving boards for their own careers. Maybe someday, legislators will do the will of the people, not the will of their party leaders.

And maybe someday, the citizens of the United States will start to care again.