Election Day always creates an interesting discussion. In my A4 class yesterday, I was complaining about how I'm only seventeen, so I can't vote. The teacher then said, "I hate to break it to you, but this is Kentucky so it doesn't really matter how you vote." I can see where he's coming from seeing as Kentucky is die-hard conservative but that really made me wonder, why don't some Americans care about voting?
I think part of it is because people think there isn't a direct incentive to voting. Besides getting an "I Voted!" sticker, Americans don't immediately experience some type of reward. On the flip side of that, there really isn't any punishment if you don't vote. No one from the government is going to come after you if you don't vote. I disagree with the viewpoint that there are no incentives. My grandparents moved here to live with us because they can't really support themselves all alone in India, which means that they have to get medical insurance in case of an emergency. So this election really affects my family because the opponents differ on their views with health insurance. I think that just because some people aren't affected by the candidate's decisions, they shouldn't be so apathetic.
I also don't understand why people think that voting won't affect them. In case they haven't noticed, the economy isn't exactly the best economy in the world (literally) and the economy affects EVERYONE! If you have a job, that's part of the economy. If you're a college student, that's part of the economy. Whether you're rich or poor, that affects the economy. If you pay taxes (which hopefully you do), then that's part of the economy too. People are under the false impression that voting won't affect them but each candidate has different views on economic policy.
And then there are those people who say that they would rather refrain from voting rather than make an uneducated choice. My answer to that is: EDUCATE YOURSELF! It's okay to be ignorant of politics, I'm actually not a huge fan myself, but seriously? This is the age of the Internet and even though Wikipedia may not be the most reliable source out there, there are hundreds of other websites that will educate people about the candidates. If you don't know anything about the candidates, look it up! At the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker, you are in charge of your own knowledge, so take responsibility!
I understand if you're not a citizen or something, I'm not asking you to commit voter fraud. But seriously, if you can, just vote. I don't care who it's for, just vote for the right reasons.
Huh, that's so sad that your teacher didn't think Kentucky votes matter. I can see why he/she said that, because with presidential elections, the state's solidly Republican. (One of the oddest things about living in this state is not only the weather but also how Kentuckians nearly almost always vote Democrat for state and local elections but not for national!)
ReplyDeleteHowever, our votes do matter, much more, when it comes to senators and representatives. Imagine, we actually have the power as voters to determine if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stays in office or not!
I completely agree. I never used to be that interested in politics when I was little because I didn't understand it, but that has changed now. That might have something to do with the fact that I get extra credit in AP Government for keeping with the election...but still! Thanks for providing some insight Julie! :)
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