November 2, 2007
Young non-voters are killing democracy
The American Revolution was a hard fight for independence. People in the new America wanted to be free. They wanted democracy. But, what is democracy? Isn’t it when people are the main policymakers? How do these people participate in politics? They simply vote. Indeed, it is simple now, but there were times when this right was a luxury for many individuals. I remember history textbooks that talk a lot about people fighting for the right to vote. Women and African Americans didn’t have suffrage for many years. Thus, I am deeply surprised that today, after so many people dedicated their lives to gaining the ability to vote, young Americans don’t seem to appreciate that and therefore, are taking the voting rights for granted.
Why is it happening? What is the name for it? Is it some type of virus that eats the democracy and so-proclaimed independent country slowly year by year? Is there a sense in having democracy if so many people refuse to vote? What or who is the problem in this issue? The answer is simple - people, or the citizens of the United States. What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States? How does the citizen of the United States stand out? If you were not born in the states, it is a hard process to get an American citizenship. On the other hand, there are permanent residents, like myself, who enjoy most of the same rights as citizens. My inability to vote is the only restriction in this country. Permanent residents and citizens - big difference, right? Then, voting should be a big deal. Only citizens can vote, not anybody with a green card. I work and pay taxes, and decisions made by policymakers affect my life. Should I vote then? No! I am not a citizen, only a green card holder. I don’t think that I, as a permanent resident, should vote, because that would give me something that only citizens have the right to do. If permanent residents were able to vote, there would be no incentive for them to become citizens. So, since young citizens are given the right to vote, why are so many of them abusing this privilege?
The voter turnout among young individuals is very low. Even though it has increased by 3 percent since 2002 mid-term elections, in 2006, only 25 percent of people ages 18-29 voted ("Young Voter Turnout"). Young people feel like they do not know enough to participate in elections. Also, they do not believe that one individual vote can make a difference. What if everybody had the same attitude? Who would vote then? Young voters are really the ones that are supposed to participate in politics. They are the future. They are the ones who will be affected by the reforms, regulations, and laws that policymakers will make. Young people have to say what they want. People that do not vote make themselves equivalent to the permanent residents. Only permanent residents do not vote because they are not allowed to do so, while citizens do not vote because they do not want to do so. Where is the patriotism? Americans have to prove that they are the citizens of this country! They should participate in elections.
Truly, Americans take this right for granted. What if this right were to be removed? Would anyone complain? Oh yes! Further, I am positive that not only those who vote would complain, but also the ones who had never voted before, even though they’re eligible. Since the new generation did not have to fight for the right to vote, they will not realize how valuable the ability to vote is until after it’s gone. When people lose the privilege of voting, they will turn around and say, “I should have voted!” It is not too late to turn the situation around and become the true citizens and representatives of this country.
Margarita Dorzhiyeva
freshman, business administration
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