To all who did not vote in the latest election, I’m proud of you. Seriously. You didn’t give in to all those out there who say the lack in voter turnout is the great disgrace of this country. You ignored them when they called you un-American. And when they said that you were disease-infested varmints unfit for society, you promptly quarantined yourselves on Election Day so as not to spread any of your filth into the polling places. I’ve heard the phrase “voter apathy” so much that I’m sick. Despite the efforts of those out there urging the masses to vote, the voting participation percentage continues to decline. I, for one, am glad.
The necessary information for voting for a political candidate is out there for anyone who wants it. If you don’t care to go that far, you can learn a party’s platform and vote strictly along party lines. But if it just doesn’t matter to you, then there’s nothing wrong with your sitting at home. In fact, it’s the best place for you to be.
The late Sen. Sam Ervin was right on this one: “I’m not going to shed any crocodile tears if people don’t care enough to vote. I don’t believe in making it easy for apathetic lazy people. I’d be extremely happy if nobody in the United States voted except for the people who thought about the issues and made up their own minds and wanted to vote.”
A statistic put out by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that only 30 percent of those with an eighth- grade education or less cast a vote in the 1996 election. It’s a shame that these numbers aren’t lower. If these are the non-voters being targeted, may their cars not start on Election Day. If you’re not educated on the issues, or if you’re just not educated period, don’t vote.
Those pushing the vote sound more like Nike sales reps with their Just Do It promotions. A message put out by the Ad Council states, “If you don’t vote, it’s like you don’t count.” What, so “just do it” and you’ll count? Don’t be fooled, non-voter. Despite what might be said, you do count. You count as one less ignorant vote that would have probably been cast for some undeserving and equally ignorant candidate.
Voter turnout is higher in most the industrialized world than in the United States, but it doesn’t appear to be hurting our country any. All these countries have higher turnout than the United States: Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Portugal. But would you rather live in any of these places?
George Washington once said, “The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”
If that is the case, then thank God more people aren’t carrying the torch they’ve been entrusted with. So far the experiment has gone pretty well. Let’s quit encouraging the ignorant to play with fire.
Michael Stewart is a junior philosophy and religion and major.