I am going to go into that little curtained booth next week, and I am going to use that felt-tipped marker to complete the arrow for the candidate that I choose for the office in question. It is my civic duty and damned but do I feel accomplished when that zamboni-looking machine sucks up my ballot and the little old man manning it smiles, and says, “Thank you!”
What am I voting for? Ad Manager Paul Diou says he feels guilty if he doesn’t vote. There are others who come from a military family who also feel this civic duty. But, it goes beyond that. As a citizen of the United States it is essential to vote in order for the constitutionally conventioned representative republic in which we live to function. It blows my mind how it seems the people who complain the most about the way things are are the same people who don’t vote, or don’t talk to their representatives to fix it.
The candidates for state offices: who are these people and what do they do? The incumbent for this office looks good. I don’t know what he does but my life hasn’t changed in a bad way due to government decisions, so that sounds good. I get calls from pollsters asking me about candidates, and I am not sure if these pollsters are lying to me. I thought she was a Democrat, now you are saying she is a Republican? But those people aren’t even running against each other? How did you get this number?
How about the student senate? There aren’t any elections for them coming up, but what do they do? The job descriptions are not nearly as cryptic as some of our state government but at the same time, do people know? Does anyone other than senators read the Student Senate update? People should – they can decide whether or not it is ok thing when the senate buys furniture then allocate the funds for it after the purchase.
I think about the things that state legislators and student senators are responsible for, and even though my mind draws blank as soon as the curtain in the booth swishes behind my back, I realize that they do make a difference.
The government decides on casinos and conservation and health care. They decide how much money goes to the schools and whether my tuition will then have to go up a thousand percent. The student senate decides on horseshoe pits and improving cafeteria food and who gets money and who doesn’t. These senates make decisions for us that we don’t have time to make because we have other things going on, other jobs, other responsibilities.
However, it is very much our responsibility to go out there and learn as much as we can about the people who think they will be good representatives. It is not about Democrat or Republican, or Green or Libertarian or whatever. It is about who you think would do the closest thing to what you would do in that given situation. Someone you trust to make the judgement that would best benefit you, your friends, family and community. It is a lot more than just farting around in Augusta. These people actually do something. They will potentially change your life.
So vote. You could say, bah, these bums are all politician jerks who don’t know anything! Or, you could actually learn something about the candidate. You could make CNN.com your homepage. You could go to a student senate meeting. You will be amazed at all the stuff that goes on at these things.
They don’t seem to teach civics in school like they used to, and so these institutions of our government that make America great are perhaps being taken for granted. People complain about going to war, but every one of our senators voted for Bush’s plan. Except one. And he is dead.
As citizens of the United States, we need to do our part and vote for those we trust, and tell those trusted representatives how we feel about issues. Or they won’t know how to vote. The people that shout the loudest to them will be heard. I bet, though, that if you write a letter on notebook paper and send it to your state representative, he will read it. That student senator will talk to you on the phone, and she will respond to your questions. Even if you didn’t vote for the guy, he will still listen to you. That’s her job.