Politics Now
March is Youth Voter Month, or at least we are celebrating it in this month where, 35 years ago, young people ages 18-20 were first given the right to vote. It's hard to believe that, as late as 1970, young people were disenfranchised.
It took a war to build popular support for the cause; anyone old enough to fight for America in Vietnam was also old enough to fight for America in the polling booth, and had the obligation to do so. At 18, I was not ready to fight a war; I was not even ready to vote. I thought I could register on election day and be processed immediately. Sometimes I cringe at my own obliviousness.
The next time around, I didn't receive my absentee ballot. But, instead of throwing my hands up, I took a "road trip for change" to New Jersey and, with my court order in hand, told the election officials to "show me the ballot"...box. One careless approach to voting followed by an activist approach: I like to think the two elections cancel eachother out.
I've still got a score to settle with my own track record on voter activism, and I'm not the only one. For all the talk about youth apathy, young people showed the rest of America what it means to care about elections in 2004. Our participation spiked (depending on who you listen to) by between 9 and 11 points, which is a larger increase than that of any other age group. The upward trend will continue in 2008, no doubt. It's the most open presidential race in decades.
I'm not worried about '08; I'm worried about '06.
That's right, '06. The silent, nerdy election that everyone agrees is okay, but not even half as appealing as '08; the "oh man it I just had no time" election. Forecasters say 1/3 of the voting public will choose the winners, maybe.
But, then again, forecasters say we'll get we'll get rain when we get sun. They take their guesses based on the only thing they know for sure, the past. This is the future. I wasn't registered in 2000 or in 2002, but it is 2006.
I am registered, and I will decide.
Most of us, when we think about reasons young people should value their right to vote, need look no further than our own civic shortcomings. Nobody's perfect. We should look beyond that, though. We should remember the pride with which Iraqis stormed their ballot boxes, with threats of violence and death ringing in their ears, or the men and women our country has sacrificed to give them that opportunity. We should remember our own inner thoughts on these and many other issues.
Whether we know it or not, we are old enough to fight a war. Let's start one.
DP
It took a war to build popular support for the cause; anyone old enough to fight for America in Vietnam was also old enough to fight for America in the polling booth, and had the obligation to do so. At 18, I was not ready to fight a war; I was not even ready to vote. I thought I could register on election day and be processed immediately. Sometimes I cringe at my own obliviousness.
The next time around, I didn't receive my absentee ballot. But, instead of throwing my hands up, I took a "road trip for change" to New Jersey and, with my court order in hand, told the election officials to "show me the ballot"...box. One careless approach to voting followed by an activist approach: I like to think the two elections cancel eachother out.
I've still got a score to settle with my own track record on voter activism, and I'm not the only one. For all the talk about youth apathy, young people showed the rest of America what it means to care about elections in 2004. Our participation spiked (depending on who you listen to) by between 9 and 11 points, which is a larger increase than that of any other age group. The upward trend will continue in 2008, no doubt. It's the most open presidential race in decades.
I'm not worried about '08; I'm worried about '06.
That's right, '06. The silent, nerdy election that everyone agrees is okay, but not even half as appealing as '08; the "oh man it I just had no time" election. Forecasters say 1/3 of the voting public will choose the winners, maybe.
But, then again, forecasters say we'll get we'll get rain when we get sun. They take their guesses based on the only thing they know for sure, the past. This is the future. I wasn't registered in 2000 or in 2002, but it is 2006.
I am registered, and I will decide.
Most of us, when we think about reasons young people should value their right to vote, need look no further than our own civic shortcomings. Nobody's perfect. We should look beyond that, though. We should remember the pride with which Iraqis stormed their ballot boxes, with threats of violence and death ringing in their ears, or the men and women our country has sacrificed to give them that opportunity. We should remember our own inner thoughts on these and many other issues.
Whether we know it or not, we are old enough to fight a war. Let's start one.
DP
posted by Mobilizing America's Youth at 2:50 PM
1 Comments:
i'm ready for battle DP, let's do this!
Post a Comment
<< Home