So there I was, sitting at work. Bored out of my mind. You see, it was raining today. I live in Oregon, so it is usually raining, but apparently most people don't want to eat ice cream when it's raining. Weird, huh? Anyway, as I was sitting there, dying of boredom, I saw it. A new Salem Weekly. It's this little newpaper-like thing that comes out every week and covers different local events and such. Anyway, this particular issue was concerned with politics, and why the youth are so seemingly indifferent to the entire political process. I was intrigued. After all, it is my age group, right? Well, the first thing I found were some reader responses to the question, "Why are people less likely to vote, the younger they are?". Here's what was said:
One reader says, "Too busy voting for the next American Idol."
First of all, really? American Idol? Thats just insulting. Who watches that anymore? I mean, maybe when I was in middle school, but for goodness sakes its 2011! Simon Cowell isn't even on the show anymore! But on a serious note, yes, the youth of America is too busy. Not voting for American Idol, but educating ourselves, working two jobs, trying to climb the career ladder, starting a family, volunteering, traveling.. You know. All that useless selfish stuff that we do.
Another, "Sadly, when one does not vote, one guarantees the continuation of the system. If you despise it, do something. Only action will create change. Does it seem 'the lesser of two evils'...? Surely the lesser evil, then, is preferable. Imagine how the world might have been better...if only a few more had voted for Gore vs. GW Bush.
Ignoring, for the moment this woman's blantent political leanings, and the fact that she didn't answer the question at all, lets address the point she brings up. Is it better to vote for the lesser of two evils than not at all? My answer would be a resounding no. As a friend of mine said, "Refusing to vote is a vote in itself. It is a vote of dissension." In other words, its saying, "No, I don't like this system. I refuse to vote for an inbecile rather than an idiot, just because he has more money than the intelligent fellow over there". You want proof that this is our mindset? Look how youth voting numbers increased in 2008. With Obama, who promised us "change" and "hope". Young people finally thought that they had a candidate that they could believe in. And on the opposite end of the bipartisan spectrum, the same thing has happened and continues to happen with Ron Paul. When someone starts making sense, the youth gets excited. When its more of the same bullshit we've always been fed.. well... not so much.
The next, "...because they are 'checked out'. The majority don't really have any idea what's going on; they're not paying attention." Strangely enough, she seems to contradict herself as she goes on to say, "they are beoming a bit cynical about the media outlets, and don't really know where to go to get unbiased information about candidates. They don't just want info from the candidate's pages, they want third party analysis withouth the hype and party fliters."
Its funny to me that a demographic which she characterized as completely "checked out" and "not paying attention" seems to be seeing right through all the games that the media and the candidates play. Yes, we are a cynical generation. I don't think that makes us "checked out". Politically speaking, I think that makes us pretty damn smart. Of course this guy is gonna say whatever it takes to get elected. Of course he's gonna look good and sound good. But we know how this game works. Look at his funding. Who has this guy in their pockets? Because that'll really show you how things are gonna go if he gets elected. (I'll also take this opportunity to say that Ron Paul has never accepted campaign donations from big banks, corporations, or special interest groups. Also, he has raised more money from active military than any other republican candidate. In fact, he also raised more than Obama did.) Really, it seems to me, that if you have this cynical youth, who are unwilling to just take a politician's word as fact, who are actively looking for valid information about these politicians and their views.... well, it seems to me thats about as "checked in" as you can get.
Much moreso, in fact than the fast majority of Americans, who get their new through Bill O'reilly or Glen Beck, or The View. Young people actually thinking? And making their own opinions? But... they don't have some Harvard educated political scientest to guide them? How will they possibly understand? At least, that seems to be the majority opinion of these political commentators.
I know its a long video, but the important part is at about 1:10:
Heaven forbid a rapper (omg, a rapper, those guys are all terrible) have a political opinion. Heaven forbid that he encourage America's youth to think critically about the actions that our government takes. Becasue God knows that we can't question the government or everything will fall apart.
And then, from Bill O'Reilly again, because he just makes it waaaaayy too easy.
"Stoned Slackers", Bill? Really? "The people who are on your intellectual level"? If Bill O'Reilly had his way, no one would vote until they were 45, and then, they would have to promise to vote Republican. Its just sad to me that he is so threatened by the idea that young people actually might have intelligently weighed the options, and still decided to vote Democrat. Or as the case may be, decided not to vote at all.
Because, as another reader wrote, "Elections are sold to the highest bidder. And... the under 30 crowd has more sensitive bullshit detectors"
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