There's no excuse to not vote
Leethaniel Brumfield
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Opinion
Recently around campus, I've heard many uninformed students making uneducated comments as to why they should not take part in the voting process. In several classroom discussions that have addressed voting, I've heard students mention that they feel "America already knows who they want to win so voting makes no difference."
It saddens me to know that we don't attempt to get informed before we make these types of pretentious assumptions-particularly about the voting process.
In lieu of the upcoming 2008 presidential election, I've learned a great deal about the reasoning and logic of why the United States uses the process it does to select a president. I'm specifically referring to the United States Electoral System. Even though the Electoral College may, in some cases, be what really decides the outcome, your vote still makes a difference. I encourage others who don't fully understand the Electoral College to learn more about it. Simply "Google" the phrase "U.S. Electoral College" and a plethora of informative websites and blogs will be at your fingertips.
Whether or not your individual vote actually "counts" in the realm of ultimately deciding who gets to play politics at the highest level, you'll discover that when you take your vote seriously, you'll find yourself actively learning more about the individual candidates and not just making decisions based on political party or likeability. You may even catch yourself comparing candidates' words and promises to the principles of the Constitution and then finding that many presidential candidates' platforms are in direct opposition with the very foundation of the U.S. Constitution.
When you start to study the principles by which the foundation of this country was laid, you'll start to select a candidate on your citizenry as an American and not as a member of a political party. You'll start to vote for a candidate because you sincerely believe that they're the best person for the job, and not just because he or she is a particular race or you think they're good-looking.
It saddens me to know that we don't attempt to get informed before we make these types of pretentious assumptions-particularly about the voting process.
In lieu of the upcoming 2008 presidential election, I've learned a great deal about the reasoning and logic of why the United States uses the process it does to select a president. I'm specifically referring to the United States Electoral System. Even though the Electoral College may, in some cases, be what really decides the outcome, your vote still makes a difference. I encourage others who don't fully understand the Electoral College to learn more about it. Simply "Google" the phrase "U.S. Electoral College" and a plethora of informative websites and blogs will be at your fingertips.
Whether or not your individual vote actually "counts" in the realm of ultimately deciding who gets to play politics at the highest level, you'll discover that when you take your vote seriously, you'll find yourself actively learning more about the individual candidates and not just making decisions based on political party or likeability. You may even catch yourself comparing candidates' words and promises to the principles of the Constitution and then finding that many presidential candidates' platforms are in direct opposition with the very foundation of the U.S. Constitution.
When you start to study the principles by which the foundation of this country was laid, you'll start to select a candidate on your citizenry as an American and not as a member of a political party. You'll start to vote for a candidate because you sincerely believe that they're the best person for the job, and not just because he or she is a particular race or you think they're good-looking.
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