JUST A THOUGHT COLUMN: This election, don't be an animal, vote!
By Nate Bloomquist
Maybe I’m loopy on bus fumes, but I thought college-aged students cared about the election. There’s still time to be proven wrong, but it’s looking doubtful.
This issue of the Apache is special to me, because the majority of it pertains to something that I feel is extremely important – the election.
I came up with the idea for the Apache-sponsored discussion on the presidential election because I wanted to hear what students and adults thought about the issues in the election. Unfortunately, only half of my wish was granted. The five panelists, whom I would like to thank for their participation in the event, were all adults. The turnout for the event was more than I expected, and there were several younger students in attendance. However, most of the students who were in attendance, whom I’d also like to thank, were in the auditorium because a teacher made the discussion part of the class.
It’s a bit surprising to me that more students aren’t involved in the electoral process. College students are usually quick to join activism groups, such as gay and lesbian rights groups, and environmental organizations. However, when it comes to following through at the polling places, students just don’t do it.
In the 1998 congressional election, only 13.5 percent of people ages 18-20 voted according to the statistical abstract of the U.S. government. Students complain that politicians don’t take stands on the issues that are important to them. Of course they don’t! Why would any politician address an issue that affects a group of people that won’t vote for them anyway. To a person holding public office, that’s the equivalent of talking to a brick wall.
Other students say they won’t vote because they don’t want to pick from the ‘worst of two evils.’ This is nothing new. During the discussion, panelist Sam Rogal quoted philosopher Henry Lewis Mencken from a book entitled Prejudices that was published in 1926.
“Democracy is that system of government under which the people having 35,717,342 native-born adult white males to chose from, including thousands who are handsome and many who are wise, pick out a Calvin Coolidge to be head of the state. It is as if a hungry man set before a banquet prepared by master cooks and covering a table and acre in area should turn his back upon the feast and stay his stomach by catching and eating flies.”
Another interesting passage Rogal quoted from the book stated: “Question: if you find so much that is unworthy of reverence in the United States, why do you live here? Answer: Why do men go to zoos.”
It could be said that one of the things that separates us from zoo inhabitants is the right to vote. However, if college students don’t vote they are turning down a chance to prove people like Mencken and me wrong.
I wish students would not only vote, but get involved as well. What would happen if students join groups like the young republicans and democrats, environmental groups, and others? While there may not be sponsors for such groups at the present time, a group of 10-20 people can’t go unnoticed.
After all, that’s what both candidates say this year’s election is about -- change.